Highly Underrated fish - The Footballer Damsel

Damselfish are popular fish the marine aquarium hobby and for good reason. They are very active, hardy, stay small, nearly always inexpensive, and common. Sadly, that last trait actually hurts them, as some see them as “too boring”. Footballer or Tiger Damsels (Chrysiptera annulata) stand out against the rest. While they are found in abundance on the tropical and subtropical reefs of the western Indian Ocean, they are not commonly collected and seen in the trade. The long flights, remoteness of collection locations, and even piracy (yes actual pirates, arrrgh) make them difficult or risky to collect over much of their range. So on the rare occasion when we do receive a shipment of them, there is a great deal of excitement.

In coloration, they look similar to the Three Stripe Damsel (Dascyllus aruanus), though there is a fine line on the snout of the Chrysiptera, where the Dascyllus has a white spot. The Footballer has magnificent pelvic fins that makes them bear a passing resemblance to another QM favorite, the Banggai Cardinal. On the husbandry side of things, they are just as hardy as most other demoiselles, requiring no special care outside what aquarists should expect for any other damselfish. Chysiptera annulata seem to be much less aggressive than many other fish in their family, making them more appealing to many hobbyists. All of us here at Quality Marine are proud to add another excellent, sustainably collected fish to our already incredibly diversity of damselfish offerings. Be sure to ask your LFS about these amazing little fish.