Purple Dottyback
Scientific Name : Pseudochromis Porphyreus
Origin : Indo-Pacific
Temperament : Territorial
Temperature : 72F - 82F
Maximum Size : 3 Inches
Diet : Carnivore
Difficulty : Easy
Reef Safe : Yes
Tank Size : 30 Gallons
The Purple Dottyback is probably one of the most commonly available members of Pseudochromis in the marine aquarium hobby. Most marine fish shops will usually have a specimen or two on hand for sale. This is also true for the bicolor dottyback.
They hail from throughout the Indo-Pacific Oceans and are heavily collected for the saltwater aquarium hobby. Purple dottybacks are some of the most beautiful fish available to hobbyist. They are a bright purple throughout their bodies and can sometimes be confused with the Orchid Dottyback. To differentiate the two, simply examine their heads. Orchid dottybacks have a black stripe on their head and also cost quite a bit more than purple dottybacks. You can't go wrong.
Their scientific name is Pseudochromis Porphyrues and they are some of the cheapest fish in the hobby. This maybe due to their common nature in the wild. Expect to pay between $10 to $20 for a single specimen. Most local stores will sell them closer to $10. If you're paying nearer to $30 or $40 for it, you may be looking at an orchid dottyback instead.
Purple dottybacks are almost Herculean in their disposition. They will defend their territory from just about any fish that strays into it. They are considered a very aggressive fish and should never be housed in smaller aquariums with similar species of fish. Sadly, it is their aggressiveness that puts many potential buyers off.
Not only are they super aggressive, they are also very very hardy. Generally very resistant to disease, they adapt very easily to life in captivity. This makes them the perfect beginner fish alongside damselfish and clownfish.
All members of the Pseudochromis family are carnivores in the wild. They generally hunt for small crustaceans and worms around the rockwork and sandbed. Feeding them is very easy as they tend to quickly accept prepared foods in captivity. But like most ornamental fish, they do tend to prefer frozen foods over pellets or flakes.
They should be given meaty food on a daily basis. Some great choices for them include * Mysis Shrimp, * Prime Reef and * Frozen Krill. They can be trained to accept most foods over time including seaweed strips and pellets/flakes.
Purple dottybacks can attain a length of about 3 inches in captvity. A minimum of thirty gallons should be made ready to house them. The bigger the better. They are very pretty fish that are always overlooked due to the fact that they are common and very aggressive. However, if you have a large aquarium and can offer it a small space to cal their own, they are a beautiful addition to the aquarium.
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