P. fridmani is a small (reaching only around 2½ inches), streamlined fish with reddish-purple overall coloration and blue scale margins. A dark stripe extends diagonally from the snout upward through the eye. This species’ appearance in aquariums can vary markedly depending on the lighting scheme. You’ll find this P. fridmani is about as easy to feed as they come. Any small, meaty foods (the usual lineup—mysids, chopped seafoods, frozen formulations for small carnivores, etc.) will be accepted with gusto, as will small pellets (e.g., New Life Spectrum) and even flakes. Minimum housing for P. fridmani is a tank in the ballpark of 20 to 30 gallons, and the aquascaping should consist of rockwork with lots of hidey holes to retreat into. Also, all dottybacks are good jumpers, so make sure the top of the tank is covered. P. fridmani is quite peaceful as dottybacks go. It can even be kept in mated pairs and small groups. However, I wouldn’t risk this unless your tank is fairly sizeable and aquascaped to provide a lot of different territories for specimens to choose from. Also, be careful to avoid heterospecific tankmates that are very similar in size, shape, color, or the niche they occupy as they may be bullied (or, if more assertive, bully the dottyback). If you’re planning to keep P. fridmani in a reef system, you won’t run into any problems there. This species is an ideal reef candidate, being totally inoffensive toward corals and other sessile invertebrates and posing a threat to none but the tiniest motile invertebrates.
