TankBud

Talbot's damsel

Chrysiptera talboti

Also known as Talbot's Demoiselle

SaltwaterFish

Talbot's damsel (Chrysiptera talboti)
Cedricguppy - Loury Cédric · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–81°F
24–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
2.4 in
6 cm
Minimum tank
29 gal
110 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Medium
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Pomacentridae
Origin
Western Pacific reefs

Overview

Talbot's Damsel has a reputation as one of the calmest damsels kept in the hobby, spending more time tucked near rockwork than patrolling open water or squaring off with tankmates. It can still defend a favorite hiding spot from other damsels or similarly sized fish, but it rarely bothers peaceful reef tankmates the way its Dascyllus relatives do. It is completely safe with coral and invertebrates, making it a good pick for reef keepers who want damsel color without constant squabbling. Feed a varied diet of small frozen meaty foods, marine pellets, and some algae-based food.

In the wild

Native to Western Pacific reefs from the Andaman Sea to Fiji and south to the Great Barrier Reef, usually on rubble slopes and reef flats with scattered coral outcrops. It relies heavily on that structure for cover, so the aquarium should offer plenty of caves and overhangs built into the live rock. A 110 liter (30 gallon) tank comfortably suits a pair or small group.

Good to know

Chrysiptera talboti is named for Frank Talbot, the fisheries scientist and former director of the Australian Museum who collected the original specimen. It carries a two-tone pattern, a pale blue-white body with a yellow face and a dark spot at the back of the dorsal fin, that separates it from other Chrysiptera species. Breeding follows the usual damsel pattern of male-guarded demersal eggs, and small-scale captive breeding has been achieved by commercial marine fish farms.

Did you know

Despite belonging to a genus with some notoriously hot-tempered species, Talbot's Damsel is consistently singled out by reef keepers as one of the few damsels calm enough for a peaceful community tank.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

Talbot's damsel is a mostly peaceful, social species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a Talbot's damsel need?

A Talbot's damsel needs at least 29 gal (110 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Talbot's damsel need?

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

How big does a Talbot's damsel get?

An adult Talbot's damsel reaches about 2.4 in (6 cm).

Related species