🐠 Four Stripe Damselfish (Dascyllus melanurus)
A Shimmering Silver Body With Four Bold Black Bands • Naturally Social in a Shoal • Grows Increasingly Assertive With Age
 
📋 The Four Stripe Damselfish, also known as the Blacktail Dascyllus or Blacktail Humbug, has a shimmering silver body crossed by three thick black vertical bands, with a fourth black band running along the tail base, a bold, unmistakable pattern.
It comes from coral-rich reef slopes across the Western Pacific, naturally shoaling in large groups and sheltering among branching coral heads for protection. Every Four Stripe Damselfish we ship is feeding well.
This species quickly grows from a cute, compact size into an assertive adult that won't hesitate to harass tankmates several times its own size, and it's best kept with other robust, confident fish rather than timid species. Keeping a small group can sometimes help spread out territorial behaviour, though this isn't guaranteed to eliminate aggression entirely; if keeping more than one, introduce them all simultaneously for the best chance of a stable outcome. It's also worth introducing this species early, before more delicate fish are already established, or planning around robust tankmates from the outset. It's one of the hardiest, easiest marine fish available, and fully reef safe toward corals and invertebrates. It reaches up to 8cm, so a 115L tank suits it well.
 
💡 Highlights
🎨 Bold Black and White Striping: An iconic, unmistakable pattern
⚠️ Grows Assertive With Age: Best with robust tankmates
🧠 Extremely Hardy: Tolerant of a wide range of conditions
🌿 Reef Safe: Won't harm corals or invertebrates
🐟 Naturally Social: Can be kept in a group if all introduced together