Indigo Dottyback

Pseudochromis hybrid

Also known as Electric Indigo Dottyback

SaltwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–81°F (23–27°C)
pH: 8.1–8.4
Adult size: 3 in (7.5 cm)
Minimum tank: 29 gal (110 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Tankmates: Tankmates with caution
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Easy
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Common
Reef safe: Reef safe
Origin: no natural occurrence
Family: Pseudochromidae

Overview

An easygoing dottyback that combines the orchid dottyback's calm with the striped dottyback's tolerance of company, so small groups work in roomier tanks. It takes mysis, brine, and small pellets readily and patrols the rock for small worms and crustaceans. Reef safe, though like any dottyback it can squabble with other dottybacks or very similarly shaped fish.

In the wild

This fish occurs on no reef: it is a captive bred cross produced entirely in hatcheries, from two parent species native to the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. It behaves like its parents, hugging rockwork and slipping between caves rather than crossing open water. Give it live rock with plenty of crevices and it settles in quickly.

Good to know

The Indigo Dottyback is a hybrid of the orchid dottyback, Pseudochromis fridmani, and the striped dottyback, Pseudochromis sankeyi, first produced by ORA in 2006 as the first captive bred hybrid dottyback in the trade. Fish show an indigo to lavender body with dark stripes along the face and belly, blending both parents, and reach about 7.5 cm. ORA later selected a deeper blue line sold as the Electric Indigo.

Did you know

It has a solid reputation as a bristleworm hunter, picking small worms out of the rockwork, which gives it a working role in a reef tank on top of its color.