Splendid Dottyback

Care at a glance

Overview

Give it a 200 litre or larger tank with deep rockwork and hiding holes at 24 to 27 C. It leaves corals alone but eats small ornamental shrimp and crustaceans and is highly territorial, so treat it as reef safe with caution and skip small, timid tankmates. Feed meaty foods such as mysis and chopped seafood. A captive bred specimen and a large tank both help keep the aggression manageable.

In the wild

The splendid dottyback is a large dark dottyback with bright yellow fins and long, flowing unpaired fins from Indonesian reefs. It hides in rock holes and defends its patch aggressively. It is a beautiful fish with a real temper. Captive bred fish are noticeably calmer than wild-caught ones.

Good to know

Manonichthys splendens reaches about 13 cm, large for a dottyback, and belongs to a genus of Indo-Pacific dottybacks separate from Pseudochromis. Its long dorsal and anal fins trail behind it as it swims. It hunts small crustaceans from ambush.

Did you know

Its long trailing fins make it look graceful, but it is one of the pushiest dottybacks and will boss much larger fish.

Related species

• 

  Neon Dottyback

  Pseudochromis aldabraensis

  3.5 in (9 cm)29 gal (110 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)

• 

  Bicolor Dottyback

  Pictichromis paccagnellae

  2.8 in (7 cm)29 gal (110 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)

• 

  Sunrise Dottyback

  Pseudochromis flavivertex

  3.1 in (8 cm)29 gal (110 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)
• Sankey's Dottyback

  Pseudochromis sankeyi

  3.1 in (8 cm)29 gal (110 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)

• 

  Diadem Dottyback

  Pseudochromis diadema

  2.8 in (7 cm)20 gal (75 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)

• 

  Orchid Dottyback

  Pseudochromis fridmani

  2.8 in (7 cm)29 gal (110 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)