Fiji Blue Devil Damsel

Care at a glance

Overview

House one in a 110 litre or larger tank with rock territories at 24 to 27 C and pH 8.1 to 8.4. It is reef safe and never bothers corals or inverts, but it is very aggressive toward other fish, so pair it only with equally bold tankmates and add it last. Feed a varied diet of meaty foods, herbivore preparations and flake. Keeping more than one usually ends in fighting unless the tank is large.

In the wild

The Fiji blue devil is an electric blue damsel with a yellow belly, common on shallow reef flats and in lagoons. It holds a small territory in the rock and defends it hard against other fish. It is hardy and colorful but famously feisty. Males brighten and display during breeding.

Good to know

Chrysiptera taupou reaches about 8 cm and, like other damsels, lays eggs on cleaned rock that the male guards. The intense blue and yellow is brightest in dominant males. It is native to the southwestern Pacific islands.

Did you know

A single blue devil can dominate a whole tank of larger fish, patrolling its patch of rock like it owns the place.

Related species

• 

  Blue Damsel

  Chrysiptera cyanea

  3.1 in (8 cm)29 gal (110 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Starck's Damsel

  Chrysiptera starcki

  3.5 in (9 cm)29 gal (110 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)

• 

  Azure Damsel

  Chrysiptera hemicyanea

  2.8 in (7 cm)29 gal (110 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Springer's Damsel

  Chrysiptera springeri

  2.8 in (7 cm)25 gal (95 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Yellowtail Damsel

  Chrysiptera parasema

  2.8 in (7 cm)29 gal (110 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Talbot's Damsel

  Chrysiptera talboti

  2.4 in (6 cm)29 gal (110 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)