Sankey Dottyback

The Sankey Dottyback is a striking and relatively uncommon species native to the Indian Ocean, primarily found in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden region. Its body displays a bold black and white striped pattern, with a broad black horizontal band running along the midline of the body contrasted against bright white dorsal and ventral regions. This clean, graphic color scheme gives it a distinctive and memorable appearance that stands out among the more uniformly colored dottybacks.

In the wild, the Sankey Dottyback inhabits reef walls, caves, and rubble zones at moderate depths. It is a secretive and territorial species that rarely strays far from the protection of the reef structure, darting out to capture small passing crustaceans and zooplankton before quickly retreating to its chosen crevice. Its bold black-and-white pattern may serve as a form of disruptive camouflage among the shadows and highlights of the reef structure.

In the home aquarium, the Sankey Dottyback is hardy and adaptable once established. It requires a tank of at least 30 gallons with plenty of rockwork providing caves and crevices for territorial establishment. While semi-aggressive like most dottybacks, its temperament is manageable in a well-planned community tank with appropriate tankmates. It is completely reef-safe and will actively consume small bristleworms and pest invertebrates, providing useful biological pest control for the reef aquarium.