Damperia Dottyback (Labracinus Cyclophthalmus) saltwater aquarium fish portrait

The Damperia Dottyback is among the larger and more imposing members of its family, built with a heavy dark reddish to reddish-brown body marked by several pale vertical bars and finished with a conspicuous bright-red tail. The species name cyclophthalmus refers to the dark curved marking that wraps the rear portion of the eye, a reliable identification cue at any size. Its range extends across the Western Pacific from southern Japan through the Indo-Malayan Archipelago to northwestern Australia, reaching east to New Ireland in Papua New Guinea.

In the wild, this dottyback occupies shallow tide pools, reef flats, slopes, gutters, and passages exposed to moderate surge or current, including comparatively silty ground. Reproduce that structure in captivity with abundant rockwork drilled through by cracks, caves, and crevices, since the fish retreats into cover readily and can act secretive despite its combative disposition. Plan on a 75-gallon aquarium or larger for an adult, with secure rock arrangements that will not collapse as the fish patrols the base of the reef and moderate flow across the display.

Because this species defends the territory it claims, the layout itself becomes a management tool. Multiple shelters spread across the tank give subordinate fishes escape routes and reduce the number of confrontations, while open swimming lanes above the rock allow larger tankmates to move without crossing the dottyback's preferred hideouts. A tight-fitting lid and well-sealed overflow are worthwhile precautions for any energetic, rock-dwelling predator.

This is a committed carnivore. Wild individuals hunt small fishes, and aquarium observations also report them taking crustaceans and polychaete worms. That predatory feeding style carries directly into captivity, so the diet should be built around substantial meaty items rather than flake or plant matter.

Offer chopped marine fish flesh, shrimp flesh, clam, and other meaty frozen carnivore preparations once daily, sizing pieces so they can be swallowed without prolonged handling. Feeding is typically straightforward; this fish is regarded as hardy and eager at the dish, and no particular acclimation difficulty has been documented. Feed after tankmates have been served so that the dottyback does not intercept every portion offered to the rest of the display.

Marine Fish Flesh Shrimp Flesh Clam Meaty Frozen Carnivore Foods
Expect a territorial, predatory, and distinctly aggressive fish that nonetheless spends part of its day tucked into rock. Wild populations may occur as loosely spread mixed-sex groups, but in an aquarium a single specimen is the safest plan, with a mated pair considered only in a genuinely large system. Once established, it will claim a section of the reef and challenge intruders that enter it.

Choose tankmates that are large, robust, and difficult to intimidate: big eels, angelfishes, tangs, groupers, squirrelfishes, snappers, triggerfishes, and rabbitfishes all suit this role. Small, passive, or shy fishes will be harassed, outcompeted for food, or eaten outright. On the invertebrate side, corals, anemones, and other large sessile animals are generally ignored, yet ornamental shrimp, small crabs, snails, and polychaete worms face substantial predation risk, so this fish belongs in a coral display or fish-only system without small mobile invertebrates or small fishes.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

About the Damperia Dottyback

  • What is the minimum aquarium size for a Damperia Dottyback?
    Plan on at least 75 gallons for an adult. The tank should include ample rocky caves and crevices so the fish can shelter and establish a territory.
  • Can it be kept in a reef aquarium?
    Only with caution. Corals, anemones, and other large sessile invertebrates are typically left alone, but shrimp, small crabs, snails, worms, and small fishes are at real risk of being eaten.
  • How often should it be fed and with what?
    Feed once daily on marine fish or shrimp flesh, clam, and other meaty frozen carnivore foods. Natural prey includes small fishes, along with crustaceans and polychaete worms.