🐠 Golden Dottyback (Pseudochromis fuscus)
A Body Colour That Shifts From Gold to Near-Black • A Documented Damselfish Mimic • The Largest Pseudochromis Species
 
📋 The Golden Dottyback, also known as the Brown, Musky, or Dusky Dottyback, has a variable body colour ranging from uniformly bright yellow to pinkish, greyish, reddish-brown, or almost black, often with fine blue spots on the scales and a yellow dorsal fin. This listing is Pseudochromis fuscus; the name "Golden Dottyback" is occasionally used for a different species, Pseudochromis pseudoplesiopinae, so ask our team if you'd like us to confirm identification.
It ranges across a vast stretch of the Indo-Pacific, from Sri Lanka to Vanuatu, and it's the largest member of the Pseudochromis genus, reaching up to 10cm. Every Golden Dottyback we ship is feeding well, and it adapts easily to most prepared foods.
It has a remarkable, scientifically documented behaviour: it's a damselfish mimic, and its colouration can shift to match the local damselfish species on a given reef, letting it approach prey undetected. It's a bold, carnivorous hunter and aggressive toward similarly sized fish, so keep it singly. It's reef safe with caution: it won't harm corals, but it shouldn't be kept with crustaceans or smaller fish it may bully or eat. It reaches up to 10cm, so plan on at least 100L.
 
💡 Highlights
🎨 A Colour That Shifts From Gold to Near-Black: One of the most variable dottybacks
🎭 A Documented Damselfish Mimic: Colour shifts to match local damselfish for hunting
📏 The Largest Pseudochromis: Reaches up to 10cm
🍽️ Ships Feeding Well: Adapts easily to most prepared foods
🪸 Reef Safe With Caution: Keep away from crustaceans