The Yellow Tail Damsel is one of the more commonly kept marine fish, and it is not difficult to see why. With their colorful appearance and their hardy, tolerant natures, these fish can make wonderful captives for beginning and experienced marine enthusiasts alike.

Yellowtail Damsel Fish are associated with reef environments in the wild, where they swim at depths of one to eight feet. They seem to prefer areas of stronger current. In very large aquariums Yellow Tail Damsels do show schooling behavior, and, with their high levels of activity and brilliant colors, can make an impressive display. They are safe for community tanks as well as miniature reefs. Because of their hardy dispositions and disease-resistant qualities, Yellow Tail Damsels are a good choice for many aquariums. Although many people feed their Yellow Tail Damsels daily in fish-only enclosures, they usually feed Yellow Tail Damsels in reefs at much longer intervals. This is because these fish scavenge food out of the reef environment.

By maturity, most Yellowtail Damsel Fish measure up to three inches (seven centimeters). Bright yellow coloration covers the tail and may run over onto the tips of the dorsal and anal fins, providing a dramatic contrast to the rest of the Yellowtail Damsel Fish's blue body. Some have purple hints in the blue shade, and a black spot may be present at the base of the dorsal fin.

Because of their beautiful appearance and hardy nature, Yellow Tail Damsels are quite common in aquaculture. Unfortunately, there is much dispute as to the scientific name of this fish, with various genus and species names being given by different sources. Yellow Tail Damsels are found throughout the Indo Pacific.

A single Yellow Tail Damsel Fish should have an aquarium of at least 20 gallons in volume. Yellow Tail Damsels do best when kept in temperatures between 72 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit (23 to 26 degrees Celsius), at pH values of 8.3 or 8.4. The specific gravity should fall between 1.020 and 1.025. When kept in a fish-only aquarium, Yellow Tail Damsels do well in a specific gravity between 1.020 and 1.023. However, if invertebrates are present in the aquarium, the range from 1.023 to 1.025 should be used. Yellowtail Damsel Fish are reef safe. They seem to get on well with other fish and invertebrates, although they may not always get along with other members of their species. Yellowtail Damsel Fish can be fed on flake food supplemented with lettuce or freeze-dried plankton.

It has been reported that newborn Yellow Tail Damsels (Chromis xanthurus) often die within the first two to three days after hatching. It is theorized that this is because they won't eat rotifers. One possible method for feeding is to feed something smaller, such as paramecium, since these are smaller than rotifers.