White damsel
Dischistodus perspicillatus
Also known as White Damselfish
SaltwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 75–82°F
- 24–28°C
- pH
- 8.1–8.4
- Adult size
- 7.1 in
- 18 cm
- Minimum tank
- 75 gal
- 285 L
- Temperament
- Aggressive
- Social behavior
- Solitary
- Tankmates
- With caution
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Breeding
- Substrate spawner · Medium
- Rarity
- Rare
- Reef safe
- Reef safe with caution
- Family
- Pomacentridae
- Origin
- Indo-West Pacific sand flats
Overview
The white damsel is placid as a small juvenile, but it grows into one of the most territorial damselfish in the hobby. It is easy to keep in a big saltwater tank.
Caring for the white damsel
Give the white damsel at least 75 gal (285 L), with a deep sand zone bordered by rockwork. Expect it to dig and rearrange the bottom to its liking.
Keep the water at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C) with a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. The white damsel eats nearly anything, so balance the usual frozen fare with algae-based foods.
It defends its feeding patch hard, so house it with robust tank mates that will not be pushed around. Skip docile grazers, and keep only one per tank. It generally ignores corals, but its size, digging and attitude make it a cautious choice for a reef tank.
Like other damsels, it lays demersal eggs that the male guards. Breeding it is moderately difficult.
Good to know
The white damsel, Dischistodus perspicillatus, is a damselfish in the family Pomacentridae, described by Cuvier in 1830. It grows into a thickset adult that is large for the family. Its pale body carries two or three dark saddles across the back, and they fade as the fish matures.
In the wild
The white damsel lives on sheltered sand and silt flats near reefs across the Indo-West Pacific. It is often found in water only a meter or two deep, where adults hold territories on the open sand.
Common questions
What size tank does a white damsel need?
A white damsel needs at least 75 gal (285 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.
What temperature and pH does a white damsel need?
A white damsel is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.
What does a white damsel eat?
A white damsel eats nearly anything. Balance the usual frozen fare with algae-based foods.
How big does a white damsel get?
An adult white damsel reaches about 7.1 in (18 cm).
How does a white damsel breed?
White damsels lay demersal eggs, and the male guards them, as in other damsels. Breeding them is moderately difficult.
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