Orchid or Fridman's Dottyback
From ReefPedia
|
[edit] Orchid or Fridman's DottybackScientific Name Pseudochromis fridmani Common Names Orchid Dottyback, Strawberry Basslet, Purple Pseodochromis Max. Size: 3 inches Tank Size: 30 gallons Aggression: Semi-Aggressive Hardiness: Hardy Reef-Safe: Yes Available as captive-bred: Yes |
 |
Physical Description
Elongated body. Deep purple color. Often has a small black stripe extending back from the mouth to the eye.
Distribution
Red Sea: The Orchid Dottyback is commonly on steep fore-reef areas or drop-offs. They generally hind around soft corals and sea fans. They are generally found living close to each other. They can be found between the depths of 1 - 60m however they are most commonly found above 35m.
Taxonomic Stuff you know you Care About
- Family: Pseudochromidae
- Genus: Pseudochromis
- Species: fridmani
Behavior
Generally lives singly in and around the rocky regions of coral reefs. They get along with corals, inverts and other small fish. They may be intimidated by large or boisterous fish. Do not keep more then one in a tank unless the tank is very large or you know that they are a mated pair. They will generally attack other dottybacks and fish taht are similarily shaped and coloured.
Feeding
Carnivore: Feeds mainly on zooplankton and small crustaceans but will readily adapt to frozen foods such as mysids, Brineshrimp, krill, and plankton.
Breeding
There is no visible different between males and females. Can be bred in captivity
Social Structure
(ADD HERE)
Current Views
(ADD HERE)
Additional Notes
Tank bred and raised specimens are best suited for life in an aquarium. They are hardy fish good for any level of experience. Provide plenty of rock work for them to hide in. Commonly confused with P. porphyreus . The Orchid Dottyback is a much more gentle and community oriented species then the P. porphyreus. When first collected their fins are a vibrant violet colour that make the fish almost appear to glow. This colouration tends to fade in captivity however a varied diet of high quality foods will help them retain much of their colouration. They can be kept in small groups in larger aquariums as long as there are plenty of places for them to hide in.
