Chrysiptera starcki

Chrysiptera starcki
Chrysiptera starcki
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Perciformes
Family:	Pomacentridae
Genus:	Chrysiptera
Species:	C. starcki
Binomial name
Chrysiptera starcki (Allen, 1973)

Chrysiptera starcki is a species of damselfish known by the common name Starck's demoiselle. It is native to the western Pacific Ocean, where it has been reported from the Ryukyu Islands and Taiwan to Australia, New Caledonia, and Tonga. It was originally described in 1973 as Abudefduf starcki.^[1]

Description

Starck's demoiselle is blue with a yellow stripe down its back. It grows up to 7 cm in length.^[1]

Ecology

The fish lives around reefs, often in deeper, outer areas, up to 60 metres deep. It lives in crevices in rocky areas. It pairs up to breed and the male guards and tends the eggs.^[1] In the wild, Starck's demoiselle will eat plankton (both zooplankton and phytoplankton).^[2]

Aquariums

This is a highly desired fish for a saltwater aquarium. Shallow waters are best for the fish. It can be very colorful if fed the correct diet. The minimum aquarium size is 76 L (20 gal).^[3] The tank should be decorated with rocks or gravel and should have many hiding places for the fish. It is not a very aggressive fish, but as it gets bigger it may harass smaller, more passive fish. Two of them together in a tank will fight, however. They are very easy to keep in captivity. They will eat many different types of foods in captivity.^[2]

Breeding

When breeding, males will swim back and forth swiftly flashing their colors to attract females. Males will prepare a territory full of rubble for the female to lay her eggs. Then the male will fertilize them and aggressively defend them from intruders.

References

1. Froese, R. and D. Pauly, Eds. Chrysiptera starcki. FishBase. 2011.
2. Animal World
3. Microcosm Aquarium Explorer