TankBud

Splendid dottyback

Manonichthys splendens

Also known as Splendid Pseudochromis, Manonichthys Dottyback, Blue-lined Dottyback

SaltwaterFish

Splendid dottyback (Manonichthys splendens)
Jenny (JennyHuang) from Taipei · CC BY 2.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–81°F
24–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
5.1 in
13 cm
Minimum tank
53 gal
200 L
Temperament
Aggressive
Social behavior
Solitary
Own kind
One per tank
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Medium
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe with caution
Family
Pseudochromidae
Origin
Western Pacific around Indonesia, on coral-rich reef slopes and among rockwork.

Overview

The splendid dottyback is a large, territorial dottyback for a reef tank with deep rockwork. It suits a keeper with a little experience.

Did you know

The splendid dottyback looks graceful, but it is one of the pushiest dottybacks and will boss much larger fish.

Caring for the splendid dottyback

Give the splendid dottyback a tank of at least 53 gal (200 L), with deep rockwork and plenty of hiding holes. Keep the water at 75 to 81°F (24 to 27°C) and a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. Feed meaty foods such as mysis and chopped seafood.

It is highly territorial, so keep only one per tank and skip small, timid tank mates. Choose a captive-bred specimen, since captive-bred fish are noticeably calmer than wild-caught ones. A large tank also helps keep the aggression manageable.

The splendid dottyback leaves corals alone, but it eats small ornamental shrimp and crustaceans. Treat it as reef safe with caution. Breeding it is rated medium.

Good to know

Manonichthys splendens is large for a dottyback, and it belongs to a genus of Indo-Pacific dottybacks separate from Pseudochromis. It is dark, with bright yellow fins. Its long dorsal and anal fins trail behind it as it swims.

In the wild

The splendid dottyback comes from Indonesian reefs in the western Pacific, on coral-rich reef slopes and among rockwork. It hides in rock holes, hunts small crustaceans from ambush and defends its patch aggressively.

Common questions

What size tank does a splendid dottyback need?

A splendid dottyback needs at least 53 gal (200 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a splendid dottyback need?

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

What does a splendid dottyback eat?

A splendid dottyback eats meaty foods such as mysis and chopped seafood.

How big does a splendid dottyback get?

An adult splendid dottyback reaches about 5.1 in (13 cm).

Related species