Highly Underrated Fish - Chrysiptera Crazy

Damsels have long been considered a perfect fish for the beginner hobbyists for their extreme hardiness, good looks, and limited space demands. They are found in abundance in the wild because of generally very short population doubling times and this combination of things makes them near ideal as pets in the home aquarium. More and more of the damsels are become available as aquacultured specimens now as well.

Species in the Chrysiptera genus fit all of the above categories being hardy, active, don't hide much, don't need much space (these are perfect for one-fish pico systems) and are very easy to care for. Like most damsels, Chrysiptera species can be territorial, so we recommend keeping only one Chrysiptera genus damsel per aquarium (unless you have a large aquarium) unlike Dascyllus and Pomacentrus genus fish, which are more safely added in groups. Add live rock or other structures for them to hide in and create territories. They readily take prepared diets of just about anything, but to keep them vibrant and healthy, provide a varied diet of frozen meaty foods and a quality marine pellets

The majority of the commonly available fish in the genus are varying themes of absolutely electric blue. This includes the Blue Devil (Chrysiptera tapou), the Starcki (C. starcki), the Yellow Tail (C. parasema), the Blue Sapphire (C. springeri) and the Azure (C. hemicyanea). They collectively have a very large wild range; found from the tropical Indo-West Pacific through the eastern Indian Ocean. In the wild, adults can easily be found in lagoons and near shore reefs, which makes collection less laborious and keeps travel time to a minimum, which has helped keep their prices down. Of these fish, most can be kept in small groups until they mature, at which point aggression will progress; the exception is the Blue Devil, which we recommend as an only damsel, even when small. Only the Sapphire lacks the contrasting yellow, that could be why it is the least seen of the four in this genus.

A less common, but still very popular member of this genus is the Tuxedo Damsel (Chrysiptera tricincta), so called for their very dapper black and white suits. This is another fish that will tolerate its own at a very small size, but will quickly become too aggressive for this. They do however do well in community reef settings where the other fish are fast swimming and somewhat aggressive themselves.

Another color outlier in the genus is the Canary Damsel (Chrysiptera galba), and they are as golden as the setting sun. Another notable distinction between them and the rest of the genus is their temperament. This is not a fish to add with aggressive fish; they have a peaceful disposition as far as damsels go and will be picked on by more boisterous tankmates. They can be aggressive with other Canary damsels, but seeing as how they are easily the most expensive fish in the genus, this isn't an issue for most hobbyists.

Tracey's Demoiselle (Chrysiptera traceyi) and the Talbot Damsel (C. talboti) have become more popular in recent years due to their unique colorations, which are nearly mirrors of each other. One is yellow in the front (Talbot), and one is yellow in the back (Tracey's) and both fade to a purpleish pink in the opposite direction which makes them stand out against other damsels. Adults are found in coral rich areas of reef slopes and lagoons, where they blend in beautifully. These are perfect for those of you looking for a small, but “different” looking fish.

The Black Cap Damsel (Chrysiptera rollandi) ranges from the Eastern Indian Ocean to the Western Pacific Ocean and has been recorded in Tonga (like the Talbot Damsel.) Adults can be found singly or in small groups among coral in lagoons and outer reefs, these are another fish that can be kept in groups when small, but are unlikely to cohabit peacefully with each other as they age. This being said, they are a very beautiful and active fish, and this combined with their durability makes them a standout for desktop cube applications.

Don't be scared of damsels from the Chrysiptera genus, just use common sense when housing them in your aquariums. If you add groups of them, be ready for the idea that some of them will need to be re-homed when they get large enough, or the tank will need to be very large. Common practice has been to keep them in small groups when young, but larger groups actually work better by dispersing aggression more evenly in the group, not unlike keeping African Cichlids. Still, in the end, there is only so much room in an aquarium, and this model is not a cure-all or recipe for long term success keeping groups. These fish are best as single specimens in displays of fish with similar temperaments or even by themselves, and as such, should not be overlooked.