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Three Stripe Damsel
Damsel

Three Stripe Damsel

Dascyllus aruanus

The classic Humbug: three bold black bars on a white body, sheltering in branching Acropora like a shoal of tiny zebras. Cheap, hardy and instantly recognisable, juveniles are irresistible reef fish. But this is the textbook cautionary damsel; it grows into an extremely aggressive terror with full-blown 'little-man syndrome', nipping and chasing fish many times its size. It won't harm corals or inverts, but keep just one unless the tank is very large, and always add it dead last.

Temperament
Aggressive
Max size
3.1"
Min tank
26 gal
Reef-safe
Reef safe
Diet
Omnivore
Zone
Rockwork, Mid-water
Keep just one per tank — two will fight.
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Tankmates

How Three Stripe Damsel gets on with the rest of the reef, checked pair by pair by the same engine as the live pre-flight.

Best kept apart

A real clash — aggression, predation or a same-genus fight.

Yasha GobyThree Stripe Damsel (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Yasha Goby and may harass it.Yellow Clown GobyThree Stripe Damsel (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Yellow Clown Goby and may harass it.Green Clown GobyThree Stripe Damsel (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Green Clown Goby and may harass it.Neon GobyThree Stripe Damsel (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Neon Goby and may harass it.Antennata LionfishAntennata Lionfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Three Stripe Damsel.Picasso TriggerfishPicasso Triggerfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Three Stripe Damsel.Domino DamselThree Stripe Damsel and Domino Damsel are the same genus (Dascyllus) and will fight — keep only one.Marine BettaMarine Betta has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Three Stripe Damsel.Dragon WrasseDragon Wrasse has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Three Stripe Damsel.Volitans LionfishVolitans Lionfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Three Stripe Damsel.Snowflake MoraySnowflake Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Three Stripe Damsel.Zebra MorayZebra Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Three Stripe Damsel.Chainlink MorayChainlink Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Three Stripe Damsel.Golden Dwarf MorayGolden Dwarf Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Three Stripe Damsel.Rectangle TriggerfishRectangle Triggerfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Three Stripe Damsel.Clown TriggerfishClown Triggerfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Three Stripe Damsel.Miniata GrouperMiniata Grouper has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Three Stripe Damsel.Panther GrouperPanther Grouper has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Three Stripe Damsel.Six-Line SoapfishSix-Line Soapfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Three Stripe Damsel.Painted FrogfishPainted Frogfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Three Stripe Damsel.

Keep an eye on these

Usually fine, but worth watching in a smaller tank.

Kole TangThree Stripe Damsel and Kole Tang both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Sixline WrasseThree Stripe Damsel and Sixline Wrasse both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Melanurus WrasseThree Stripe Damsel and Melanurus Wrasse both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Coral HawkfishThree Stripe Damsel and Coral Hawkfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Springer's DottybackThree Stripe Damsel and Springer's Dottyback both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Purple DottybackThree Stripe Damsel and Purple Dottyback both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Midas BlennyThree Stripe Damsel and Midas Blenny both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Longnose HawkfishThree Stripe Damsel and Longnose Hawkfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Potter's AngelfishThree Stripe Damsel and Potter's Angelfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Bicolor BlennyThree Stripe Damsel and Bicolor Blenny both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Red Coris WrasseThree Stripe Damsel and Red Coris Wrasse both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Flame HawkfishThree Stripe Damsel and Flame Hawkfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Saddleback ClownfishThree Stripe Damsel and Saddleback Clownfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Cherub AngelfishThree Stripe Damsel and Cherub Angelfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Multicolor AngelfishThree Stripe Damsel and Multicolor Angelfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Starry BlennyThree Stripe Damsel and Starry Blenny both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Spotted MandarinThree Stripe Damsel and Spotted Mandarin both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Rusty AngelfishThree Stripe Damsel and Rusty Angelfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Emperor AngelfishThree Stripe Damsel and Emperor Angelfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Regal AngelfishThree Stripe Damsel and Regal Angelfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.