The Dusky Damselfish (Stegastes fuscus) is very territorialOne of the more challenging aspects of marine fishkeeping, particularly for those interested in creating a mixed community of interesting fishes, is choosing different species that will coexist peacefully in captivity. This might seem easy enough given the fact that, in the wild, so many different species can often be found sharing the same patch of reef and that many species commonly form schools or shoals, sometimes numbering in the thousands. However, what works in the wild doesn’t always translate to hobbyists’ tanks. Why is that? Well, it’s a matter of scale (excuse the pun). When you take fishes from the (for all intents and purposes) limitless ocean and place them in water-filled glass or acrylic boxes, certain factors that promote territorial aggression are bound to come into play.
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