White Damsel
Dischistodus perspicillatus
| Stock | Variations | Price | Quantity |
|---|
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Monday – Friday 8 AM – 9 PM
Saturday 12 PM – 4 PM
Sunday 12 PM – 9 PM
Healthy, stable animals from vetted suppliers — inspected before packing, shipped overnight. Decades of experience built this model so we can deliver premium livestock at 30%+ less than you'd pay elsewhere.
| Care Level | Moderate |
|---|---|
| Temperament | Aggressive |
| Reef Safe | Yes |
| Functional Benefit | Algae Control |
| Diet Type | Herbivore |
| Mininum Tank Size | 90 gallons |
| Max Size | 8 inches |
| Temperature | 72–78°F |
| pH Range | 8.1–8.4 |
| Specific Gravity | 1.022–1.025 |
The White Damsel (Dischistodus perspicillatus) is an active algae grazer that spends much of the day working rock surfaces and patrolling a chosen area. Its body is mainly white to pale with darker markings that can shift with age, giving it a clean, high-contrast look in reef and fish-only systems.
What You’ll Observe:
- Regular “patrol loops” along the same rock faces, especially once it picks a home zone
- Quick dashes into the water column at feeding time, then back to the rockwork
- A noticeable interest in specific patches of algae or film on rock
- Confident interaction with nearby tank activity and hands during maintenance
To help it settle in, provide sturdy rockwork with multiple caves and clear lines of separation between areas. Offer algae-based foods (nori, spirulina flakes/pellets) along with occasional meaty fare to keep feeding response consistent. In larger tanks, it does best when it can establish a defined area without constant crowding from similar-shaped fish.
Will this fish’s markings change as it grows?
Many keepers report darker juvenile accents fading or shifting with age, so the pattern can look different after several months of growth.
What does “algae farming” look like in a home aquarium?
You may see it repeatedly return to the same rocks and chase off other grazers from that spot, treating it like its personal feeding patch.
Why did it act calm at first and then get more territorial later?
As it learns the tank layout and locks onto a favorite zone, its “home base” behavior often becomes more consistent and more assertive.
Is an acclimation box useful for introducing it?
Yes—letting it observe the tank from an in-tank box for a short period can reduce the immediate scramble for prime territory when it’s released.
Any practical tips for catching it later if I need to re-home it?
Many hobbyists have better luck using a fish trap baited with food, or placing a container/trap near its usual patrol route right before feeding time.
Shipped with pure oxygen and temperature control so it arrives stress-free and ready to eat.
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