TankBud

Blue velvet damsel

Neoglyphidodon oxyodon

Also known as Bluestreak Damselfish, Java Damsel, Neon Velvet Damsel

SaltwaterFish

Blue velvet damsel (Neoglyphidodon oxyodon)
Drow male · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–81°F
24–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
5.9 in
15 cm
Minimum tank
55 gal
210 L
Temperament
Aggressive
Social behavior
Solitary
Own kind
One per tank
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Substrate spawner · Hard
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Pomacentridae
Origin
Western Pacific reefs

Overview

The blue velvet damsel sells well because its juveniles are so strikingly colored. It is easy to keep, but it grows into an aggressive adult that needs to be stocked with real caution.

Did you know

A grown blue velvet damsel looks so different from the bright juvenile that new keepers sometimes mistake it for an entirely different species.

Caring for the blue velvet damsel

Give the blue velvet damsel at least 55 gal (210 L), since it grows larger than most aquarium damsels. Use heavy rockwork broken into separate territories. Strong water flow and stable parameters help it stay healthy long term.

Keep the water at 75 to 81°F (24 to 27°C) and a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. Feed a varied diet of frozen mysis and brine shrimp, marine pellets and algae-based food.

An adult claims a large territory and challenges almost anything that enters it, including other damsels. Keep one per tank, with tank mates that are equally bold and similar in size. It will bully smaller or more peaceful fish without hesitation. It will not touch coral or sessile invertebrates, so it is fine in a reef tank as far as corals go.

Males clear and defend a nest site, then court females to lay adhesive eggs there. A male sometimes spawns with more than one female. He guards the clutch alone until it hatches, roughly three days to a week later. Breeding it is hard.

Good to know

The blue velvet damsel, Neoglyphidodon oxyodon, is a damselfish in the family Pomacentridae. Juveniles are a vivid electric blue with black and white stripes. The color fades to a dull brown or blackish tone as the fish matures. It has no established commercial breeding program, so nearly all blue velvet damsels in the trade are wild-caught.

In the wild

The blue velvet damsel lives on western Pacific reefs, from Indonesia and the Philippines to Ashmore Reef in the Timor Sea. It inhabits shallow, protected lagoons and inshore reef flats.

Common questions

What size tank does a blue velvet damsel need?

A blue velvet damsel needs at least 55 gal (210 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a blue velvet damsel need?

A blue velvet damsel is comfortable at 75–81°F (24–27°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

What does a blue velvet damsel eat?

A blue velvet damsel eats a varied diet of frozen mysis and brine shrimp, marine pellets and algae-based food.

How big does a blue velvet damsel get?

An adult blue velvet damsel reaches about 5.9 in (15 cm).

How does a blue velvet damsel breed?

Blue velvet damsel males clear and defend a nest site, where females lay adhesive eggs. The male guards the clutch alone until it hatches, roughly three days to a week later. Breeding them is hard.

Related species