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Scissortail Dartfish
Ptereleotris evides
Animalia›Chordata›Actinopterygii›Gobiidae
📍 Indo-Pacific reefs
Slender, schooling dartfish with a distinctive forked tail and blue-grey body. Best kept in pairs or small groups; will share a burrow. Reef-safe and active in the mid-water column.
Care Guide
Diet
Scissortail Dartfish are carnivorous and require a diet of small meaty foods. Feed high-quality frozen mysis shrimp, copepods, and small frozen foods once daily in small portions. Supplement occasionally with quality micro pellets designed for small carnivores, though live copepods are ideal for conditioning and natural feeding behavior.
Behavior
These are active, peaceful schooling fish that spend most of their time in the mid-water column and near the substrate. They are best kept in pairs or small groups of 3-4, as they naturally share burrows and exhibit social behavior. They are non-aggressive toward other peaceful species but may be stressed if kept singly.
Breeding
Breeding Scissortail Dartfish in captivity is difficult and rarely documented in home aquariums. They require very specific conditions including stable water parameters, plenty of hiding spaces, and live food availability. Success is uncommon, and most specimens in the hobby are wild-caught or tank-bred commercially.
Tank Mates
Similar reef-safe temperament and water requirements; both peaceful mid-water swimmers
Peaceful goby with identical saltwater needs and non-aggressive behavior
Similar size and peaceful nature, though both are active swimmers requiring adequate space
Reef-safe invertebrate that shares the same water parameters and poses no threat
Peaceful shrimp compatible with dartfish; may form symbiotic relationships in reef settings
Common Diseases
Ich (Marine Ich)
White spots on body and fins, rapid breathing, flashing against surfaces
Raise temperature to 28-29°C, use copper-based treatments or hyposalinity therapy; quarantine affected fish
Velvet Disease
Fine golden or rust-colored dust on body, lethargy, rapid gill movement
Increase aeration, use copper treatments or formalin-based medications; maintain pristine water quality
Bacterial Infection
Torn fins, lesions on body, cloudy eyes, loss of appetite
Perform frequent water changes, use antibiotic treatments if available; ensure excellent water quality
Stress-Related Illness
Faded coloration, hiding, reduced appetite, erratic swimming
Provide adequate hiding spaces, maintain stable parameters, ensure proper group size (pairs minimum)
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Quick Facts
- pH
- 8.1–8.4
- diet
- carnivore — mysis, copepods
- maxSize
- 5 inches
- minTankSize
- 20 gallons
- temperature
- 75–82°F (24–28°C)
Temperature
75–82°F
24–28°C