Dusky dottyback

Brown dottybacks grow to a maximum length of about 10 centimeters and they have three dorsal spines, several dorsal soft rays, three anal spines and a few anal soft rays. The spine count is what distinguishes them from their close neighbor, the true basses from the family Serranidae. Like most dottybacks, they are very long and slender. They are also the largest species within the genus Pseudochromis. Brown dottybacks have pear-shaped eyes, not unlike bass, and canine teeth. Color usually ranges from bright yellow to dark brown, but orange, pink, and gray fish of this species have been found as well. Blue spots can often be seen on the nape and the anterior part of the body. Studies have shown that the color differences in wild brown dottybacks are not due to genetic changes. In fact, individuals seem to be able to change their color, though the factors causing color changes are undetermined. The shade of yellow or brown that a dottyback displays seems to correlate with the shade of prey that a dottyback targets. For example, brown dottybacks with a bright yellow coloration are more likely to be found near prey with a bright yellow coloration. Brighter brown dottybacks are also more likely to be found in deeper areas, while their browner cousins are more likely to be found in shallower areas.

Pseudochromis fuscus is native to the south-western Pacific Ocean and the eastern Indian Ocean. Its range is from Sri Lanka east to Vanuatu and from Australia north to Hong Kong. A map showing the distribution of this fish can be seen here, with red spots showing the range of this dottyback. As is shown on the map, the southern limit of the distribution stops at about the southern limit of the reefs off the eastern coast of Australia. This is because the brown dottyback is most often found in coral reef habitats.

Pseudochromis fuscus is a carnivorous fish that often feeds on juvenile coral reef fish or crustaceans, though they also will feed on mollusks. Typically, juvenile fish are only targeted for predation during the summer, as the survivors outgrow their vulnerability to dottyback predation by the winter. Common predatory targets include many species of damselfish. Unlike other species of competing piscivors, predation of juvenile fish by the brown dottyback is not affected by the presence of adult males guarding the juveniles. Sometimes, adult male damselfish will guard the nests of their young. While this reduces predation on the young by other predators, predation by dottyback appears to be unaffected. Because of this predatory behavior, the brown dottyback is considered an important regulator of the composition of the coral reef community.