Blue Assessor

With its body ranging from dark royal blue to violet blue and its deeply forked tail, the blue assessor is the blue relative of the yellow assessor. It reaches about 6 cm. In the wild it swims in groups, often upside down, in caves at depths of 2–15 meters on lagoon and outer reefs of the Great Barrier Reef and New Caledonia. The male carries the egg mass in his mouth for about two weeks; it is one of the species whose breeding can be observed in the aquarium. It is hardy and easy to feed.

• At least 110 liters for a small group.
• Salinity specific gravity 1.023–1.026, pH 8.1–8.4, temperature 24–27°C.
• Reef-safe: it leaves corals and invertebrates alone.
• Caves, tunnels and shaded rock ledges.
• An aquarium with a lid is recommended.

Carnivorous. Offer frozen mysis, brine shrimp, copepods and fine granules. Feed small amounts twice a day; delivering the food near their caves helps in the first weeks.

Peaceful and calm. A small group of individuals added at the same time shares a cave; it can also be kept with the yellow assessor. Tough and large fish drive it into hiding.

Good companions: Clownfish, cardinalfish, gobies, blennies, fairy wrasses, yellow assessor, ornamental shrimp.

Avoid: Dottybacks, hawkfish, tough damsels, predators such as lionfish.