gemmy
Active Member
Bicolor Pseudochromis (Pseudochromis paccagnellae)
The bicolor pseudochromis gets its name from its coloration. These fish have distinct color pattern where the first half of the body is magneta and the second half is a vibrant yellow. These fish look very similar to the Royal Gramma, with the main difference that the the bicolor pseudochromis lacks the dot on the dorsal fin and the fins of the bicolor pseudochromis are more streamlined compared to those of the royal gramma.
The bicolor pseudochromis is from the family Pseudochromidae. They are from the same family as dottybacks. The bicolor pseudochromis is also referred to as the royal dottyback or bicolor dottyback. They are from the Indo-Pacific regions, usually found in rocky areas.
The bicolor pseudochromis is reef compatible, however it may eat ornamental shrimp. It is recommended to keep them singly in the home aquarium, as they tend not to get along with other dottybacks in the home aquarium (especially under 100 gallons). They should not be housed with other fish with a similar body structure or colors. Generally, they can be housed with little to no issue with most fish.
These fish may be small in size but have an extremely bold personality. The bicolor pseudochromis will think nothing of it to confront a fish 3 times its size. They spend most of their time in the rockwork and aren’t seen swimming in the water column too often. They can be housed in a 25 gallon tank or larger.
They are a carnivirous fish that should be fed meaty foods and some will even eat bristle worms.
As far as breeding, the bicolor pseudochromis is a hermaphrodite. This means that if there are 2 in a tank one will adopt male reproductive organs and the other will adopt female organs. These fish can spawn successfully in the home aquarium. This makes it easy for retailers to offer captive bred specimens.
IME, these fish are a great addition to the reef tank. Their coloring is awesome and adds variety to the tank. I would recommend that they are added to the tank as one of the last additions. The bold personality of the bicolor pseudochromis will cause them to pick on new additions and bully them. Also, NEVER , EVER trust them with shrimp. I could not figure out why I could not keep cleaner shrimp alive and I finally saw that my bicolor pseusochromis would pick on the shrimp. My bicolor pseudochromis loves to hang out in the rocks. One thing my bicolor pseudochromis can be seen doing occassionally is picking up sand and spitting it out.
Pics of mine:
