Sunrise dottyback

Inhabits corals

The sunrise dottyback is a fish that inhabits coral reefs. It prefers to live near the bottom on rocky surfaces and in the upper parts of the coral. The fish can inhabit depths from 2 to 30 metres. The sunrise dottyback has a typical white belly and bright yellow back, and is a very resilient coral-dwelling fish.

The females can turn into males

The sunrise dottyback is a so-called protogynous hermaphrodite. This means that it is born as a female, but can change sex and become a male. It is the most dominant female that changes sex and becomes a male. Once a sunrise dottyback becomes male, it cannot change back to female again. After mating, females lay eggs in the crevices of rocks on the seabed. The male protects the eggs during the 3 to 7 days it takes for them to develop into larvae. The species is a popular aquarium fish.