TankBud

Yellowtail demoiselle

Neopomacentrus azysron

Also known as Lyretail Damselfish

SaltwaterFish

Yellowtail demoiselle (Neopomacentrus azysron)
Paul Asman · CC BY 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–81°F
24–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
3 in
7.5 cm
Minimum tank
50 gal
190 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Substrate spawner · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Pomacentridae
Origin
Indo-West Pacific

Overview

The yellowtail demoiselle is a mild, busy damsel that swims in open water in the middle of a reef tank. It is reef safe and easy to keep.

Did you know

Unlike the territorial damsels that give the family its reputation, the yellowtail demoiselle lives more like an anthias. It rides the currents in midwater groups and rarely bothers anyone.

Caring for the yellowtail demoiselle

Give a group of yellowtail demoiselles at least 50 gal (190 L), with open swimming space and steady flow. Add rockwork for them to retreat into at night.

Keep the water at 75 to 81°F (24 to 27°C) with a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. They eagerly take flake, small pellets and frozen mysis and brine shrimp. Several small feedings suit their plankton-picking habits.

Keep them in a small group in open water, where constant motion takes the place of squabbling. Bickering among them only becomes a problem when a group is crowded into too small a tank. They are mostly peaceful, but choose their tank mates with caution.

Like other damselfish, they are demersal spawners, and the males guard eggs laid on cleaned rock. Breeding them is moderately difficult.

Good to know

The yellowtail demoiselle, Neopomacentrus azysron, is a damselfish described by Bleeker in 1877, and it is also called the lyretail damselfish. Its deeply forked yellow tail makes up a good part of its length. The tail extends into filaments that give the genus its lyretail look.

In the wild

The yellowtail demoiselle schools along current-swept drop-offs, channels and outer reef slopes across the Indo-West Pacific. It feeds on zooplankton in the upper water and hangs in loose aggregations rather than defending patches of rock.

Common questions

What size tank does a yellowtail demoiselle need?

A yellowtail demoiselle needs at least 50 gal (190 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a yellowtail demoiselle need?

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

What does a yellowtail demoiselle eat?

A yellowtail demoiselle eagerly takes flake, small pellets and frozen mysis and brine shrimp. Several small feedings suit its plankton-picking habits.

How big does a yellowtail demoiselle get?

An adult yellowtail demoiselle reaches about 3 in (7.5 cm).

Does a yellowtail demoiselle need a group?

Yes. A yellowtail demoiselle is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

How does a yellowtail demoiselle breed?

Yellowtail demoiselles are demersal spawners like other damselfish, and the males guard eggs laid on cleaned rock. Breeding them is moderately difficult.

Related species