TankBud

Allen's damsel

Pomacentrus alleni

Also known as Andaman Damsel, Neon Damsel

SaltwaterFish

Allen's damsel (Pomacentrus alleni)
Gerald R. Allen · CC BY 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–81°F
24–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
2.4 in
6 cm
Minimum tank
29 gal
110 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Medium
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Pomacentridae
Origin
Eastern Indian Ocean reefs

Overview

Allen's Damsel has a gentler reputation than most of its Pomacentridae relatives, often described as shy or even a bit skittish rather than pushy. It can still stake out a favorite piece of rock and act territorial toward its own kind or similarly sized fish, especially in a smaller tank, but it rarely bothers slower or more docile tankmates. It leaves coral and sessile invertebrates alone, making it a solid reef community choice, and does best kept in a small group with enough rockwork for each fish to claim a corner. Feed small meaty foods like mysis and brine shrimp along with marine pellets and some algae-based food.

In the wild

Native to a fairly narrow stretch of the eastern Indian Ocean around the Andaman Sea and Thailand, with additional records from Indonesia, where it shelters among branching coral and rocky reef. It wants dense live rock with small crevices in the aquarium, since it is shier than most damsels and retreats quickly when startled. A 110 liter (30 gallon) tank works well for a single fish, with more room needed to keep several together.

Good to know

Allen's Damsel is a small Pomacentrus species that tops out around 6 cm, named for ichthyologist Gerald Allen, who described hundreds of Indo-Pacific reef fish over his career. It follows the usual damsel breeding pattern, with the male clearing a nest site, courting a female to lay adhesive eggs, and then guarding and fanning the clutch alone until it hatches. Small numbers have been reared by commercial marine fish farms, though most specimens in the trade are still wild-caught.

Did you know

Its electric blue body and bright yellow belly make Allen's Damsel one of the more strikingly colored small damsels, a look it keeps for life instead of fading with age like many of its relatives.

Common questions

What size tank does an Allen's damsel need?

An Allen's damsel needs at least 29 gal (110 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does an Allen's damsel need?

An Allen's damsel is comfortable at 75–81°F (24–27°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

How big does an Allen's damsel get?

An adult Allen's damsel reaches about 2.4 in (6 cm).

Related species