Scissortail Dartfish

Overview

The Scissortail Dartfish is a slender, pale grey-blue fish with a distinctive forked tail marked by dark upper and lower lobes, giving the appearance of scissor blades when it swims. Like other dartfish it hovers above rockwork picking plankton from the water column, and it's a bit bolder and more confident than some of its shyer relatives, such as the Fire Goby.

It's a peaceful, fully reef-safe species that adds active mid-water movement to a reef tank, and its slightly larger size compared to other dartfish gives it a bit more presence in the display.

Like all dartfish it's an excellent jumper, so tank security is an important consideration alongside its otherwise easygoing care requirements.

Compatibility

Scissortail Dartfish are peaceful and reef safe, ignoring corals and invertebrates entirely. They do well in pairs if introduced together, showing natural pairing behaviour, though unrelated individuals added separately can sometimes show aggression toward each other.

They mix well with other peaceful community fish and are rarely bullied given their alert, quick-swimming nature.

Health & quarantine

This species is generally hardy but, like other dartfish, is a capable jumper, especially when startled, so a secure, gap-free lid is essential. A minimum two-to-four-week quarantine is recommended, and this species usually acclimates and feeds well with minimal issues.