About Dascyllus marginatus (Rüppell, 1829)
Dascyllus marginatus (Rüppell, 1829), commonly called the marginate dascyllus or Red Sea dascyllus, is a damselfish species that is endemic to the Western Indian Ocean. This fish is site-attached and lives among corals, most commonly Stylophora pistillata and species in the genus Acropora. It hides in these corals when it detects danger and sleeps within them at night. It feeds on zooplankton that drifts with the water current, and reaches a maximum total length of 6 cm. This species lives in groups ranging from 2 to 25 individuals. When group members forage for food around their home coral, each individual maintains a separate, stable foraging space. It sometimes enters the aquarium trade, and is collected for use in home aquariums.
