HomeMarine aquarium fishClownfish & damselfishWhitetail dascyllus Whitetail dascyllus (Dascyllus aruanus) Scientific name: Dascyllus aruanus Linnaeus, 1758 The Whitetail dascyllus (Dascyllus aruanus) is a marine fish of the family Pomacentridae. Native range: Indo-West Pacific, Red Sea and East Africa to the Line, Marquesan and Tuamoto islands, north to southern Japan, south to Sydney, Australia. BiologyTerritorial, inhabit shallow lagoon and subtidal reef flats. Form large aggregations above staghorn Acropora thickets or in smaller groups above isolated coral heads. Feed on zooplankton, benthic invertebrates, and algae. Males invite females to spawn in their nests; protecting the eggs until they hatch and becoming very aggressive against other fish. Eggs hatch after 3-5 days; pelagic larvae feed on plankton. Oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding. Used in behavioral study. Have been reared in captivity.Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. Species factsScientific nameDascyllus aruanusFamilyPomacentridae (Damselfishes)OrderPerciformes (Perch-like fish)ClassActinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)Maximum length10.0Common length6.0Depth range0–20 m (0–66 ft)EnvironmentMarine; reef-associated; non-migratory; depth range 0 - 20 mClimateTropicalDistributionIndo-West Pacific: Red Sea and East Africa to the Line, Marquesan and Tuamoto islands, north to southern Japan, south to Sydney, Australia.Conservation status (IUCN)Not EvaluatedThreat to humansHarmlessUsesFisheries: of no interest; aquarium: commercialResilienceMedium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (tmax=6; Fec=1,500-2,000) More clownfish & damselfishBlacktail humbugDascyllus melanurusThreespot dascyllusDascyllus trimaculatusReticulate dascyllusDascyllus reticulatusLined chromisChromis lineataTwinspot chromisChromis eleraeDark-fin chromisChromis atripesSee all clownfish & damselfish SourcesTaxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.Last updated 27 September 2026