Strawberry Dottyback

The Strawberry Dottyback is a dazzling species that displays a uniform, intense magenta to purple coloration across its entire body, creating an electric pop of color in any reef aquarium. Often confused with the similarly colored Orchid Dottyback, the Strawberry Dottyback can be distinguished by its slightly more compact body shape and the absence of the thin dark line through the eye that characterizes the Orchid species. It is one of the most vibrantly colored small reef fish available to marine aquarists.

In the wild, Strawberry Dottybacks inhabit reef walls and coral-rich slopes in the Western Pacific, where they occupy small territories centered around crevices and caves. While not as aggressive as some dottyback species, the Strawberry Dottyback is decidedly semi-aggressive and will defend its territory against smaller, similarly sized fish. It is bolder and feistier than the closely related Orchid Dottyback, requiring more careful consideration when selecting tankmates.

Despite its semi-aggressive nature, the Strawberry Dottyback is a beginner-friendly species that is hardy, disease-resistant, and adaptable to aquarium conditions. It is completely reef-safe, posing no threat to corals, clams, or other sessile invertebrates. Like other dottybacks, it provides valuable pest control by actively hunting and consuming small bristleworms in the reef aquarium. Captive-bred specimens are widely available and tend to be less aggressive than wild-caught individuals, making them the preferred choice for community aquariums.