Origin
Native to the Western Pacific, especially reefs around Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Great Barrier Reef. Found in lagoons and sheltered coastal waters.

Visual & Behavioral Appeal
Striking body pattern with a yellow face, red-orange eyes, and polka-dotted back half, separated by a dark vertical band. Moves slowly and deliberately, often hovering in open water or hiding in coral branches. Peaceful demeanor makes it a group-friendly community fish.

Purpose
Adds color and calm presence to the midwater zone of reef tanks. Great for filling visual gaps between rockwork and corals without aggressive behavior. Social schooling behavior adds motion to static layouts.

Importance
An ideal first marine fish due to its peaceful nature and adaptability. Also a good dither fish in shy community setups. Often used in reef aquariums to maintain a gentle energy balance.

Included Resources
Requires basic marine tank setup: live rock, stable reef parameters, and moderate lighting. Will use coral branches or caves for cover. No special flow or coral requirements.

Best Use Cases
Great for nano to mid-sized reef tanks, FOWLR systems, and peaceful reef communities. Pairs well with other peaceful reef-safe species and is safe around corals and inverts.

Conservation Context
Captive breeding has become widespread, reducing pressure on wild stocks. However, localized overcollection in the past made it important to prioritize aquacultured individuals.

Ideal Aquatic Species
• Firefish gobies
• Banggai cardinalfish
• Clownfish
• Dwarf angels (peaceful species)
• Coral gobies and small wrasses

Region (A)
• Latitude: -5.2249° S
• Longitude: 145.7500° E
(Papua New Guinea — coastal reef systems)

Region (B)
• Latitude: -17.7134° S
• Longitude: 168.3273° E
(Vanuatu — shallow island reef environments)