''Pictichromis diadema'', the bicolor dottyback, diadem dottyback, or purple-top dottyback is a
fish species of the
dottyback
The dottybacks are a family, Pseudochromidae, of fishes which were formerly classified in the order Perciformes, but this has been revised and the family is regarded as of uncertain affinities, or ''incertae sedis'' within the Ovalentaria, a cl ...
family. It is a popular
aquarium
An aquarium (plural: ''aquariums'' or ''aquaria'') is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aq ...
fish species.
Distribution
This species is found in rich
coral reefs in the western central
Pacific Ocean, eastern
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula (Malay: ''Semenanjung Tanah Melayu'') is a peninsula in Mainland Southeast Asia. The landmass runs approximately north–south, and at its terminus, it is the southernmost point of the Asian continental mainland. The area ...
, and western
Philippine waters. They are found as close as to the surface and as far down as . They are native in 4 countries, including
Indonesia,
Malaysia,
Philippines, and
Thailand.
Appearance and anatomy
This species is usually yellow in colour with a magenta stripe running along its back. In the wild, they grow to a reported .
Ecology
Their diet in the wild is only known to consist of
crustaceans.
These fish are capable of changing their sex. After eggs are laid, the male aerates them by picking them up in his mouth. In the wild, they defend a territory several yards in diameter.
In the aquarium
Pictichromis diadema is the first dottyback to be kept in captivity. They are widely sold for the
aquarium
An aquarium (plural: ''aquariums'' or ''aquaria'') is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aq ...
trade. A very skittish addition to any aquarium, one should be wary to keep this species with other fish of similar sizes; if the ''Pictichromis diadema'' is the bigger, he will attack them, whereas if he is the smaller, he will hide most of the time.
References
* Gill, A. C. 2004 (3 June) Revision of the Indo-Pacific dottyback fish subfamily Pseudochrominae (Perciformes: Pseudochromidae). Smithiana Monographs No. 1: 1–213, Pls. 1–12.
External links
*
diadema
Fish described in 1978
{{ray-finned fish-stub