Allen's Chromis

Scientific Name: Chromis alleni
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 8cm
Identification: Cinnanon-brown; white band around tail base, pale tail. Prominent black spot covers pectoral fin base.
Favourite: Solitary or form groups.
Hide-out: Coral reefs and shorelines in 11-30m.
Location: Taiwan to Bonin Is south of Japan.

Blackbar Chromis

Scientific Name: Chromis retrofasciata
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 5.5cm
Identification: Yellowish tan with whitish tail; dark band above eye, black bar across rear edge of body.
Favourite: Solitary or form groups.
Hide-out: Stay near bottom of lagoons and on outer reefs in 5-65m.
Location: West Pacific - Indonesia and Philippines to Great Barrier Reef and Fiji.

Barrier Reef Chromis

Scientific Name: Chromis nitida
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 9cm
Identification: White; black bordered brown 'skull-cap' runs from snout to mid-dorsal fin, black borders on tail and anal fin.
Favourite: Usually form groups.
Hide-out: Lagoons and outer reefs in coral areas in 5-25m.
Location: Southwestern Pacific - Central and S. Great Barrier Reef, south to Sydney and Lord Howe I.

Blue-Green Chromis

Scientific Name: Chromis viridis
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 8cm
Identification: Blue to pale green with no markings.
Favourite: Form large schools above coral thickets.
Hide-out: Coastal reefs and lagoons in 2-20m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - Red Sea and E. Africa to Marquesas and Society Is. in French Polynesia. S.W. Japan to Australia.

Green Chromis

Scientific Name: Chromis cinerascens
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 13cm
Identification: Dusky gray-green with yellow tints on lower forebody, ventral fins white. Nest-guarding fish sometimes white with large irregular brown botches.
Favourite: Form large schools.
Hide-out: Silty coastal reefs in 3-15m.
Location: Indo-Asian Pacific - Sri Lanka to N.W. Australia, north to Hong Kong.

Lined Chromis

Scientific Name: Chromis lineata
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 5cm
Identification: Yellowish brown undercolor with blue scale rows forming stripes on body; fine blue margins on dorsal, anal and ventral fins.
Favourite: Usually form groups or aggregations.
Hide-out: Above outer reef slopes in 2-10m.
Location: Indo-Asian Pacific - Christmas I. to Indonesia and Solomon Is. Philippines to Great Barrier Reef.

Midget Chromis

Scientific Name: Chromis acares
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 5.5cm
Identification: Blue-gray to light purple; yellow area from eye to pectoral fin, black rear anal fin, and broad yellow borders on tail.
Favourite: Form aggregations above coral heads.
Hide-out: Clear lagoons and channels and exposed seaward reefs in 2-37m.
Location: West and Central Pacific - Mariana Is. in Micronesia to Hawaii, Vanuatu and Society Is. in French Polynesia.

Twinspot Chromis

Scientific Name: Chromis elerae
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 7cm
Identification: Brown; two white spots, one each at base of rear dorsal and anal fin rays.
Favourite: Form small groups.
Hide-out: Caves, ledges and black coral thickets, usually on steep slopes in 12-70m.
Location: Indo-West Pacific - Maldives to Fiji and Guam in Micronesia. Taiwan to Australia.

White-Tailed Chromis

Scientific Name: Chromis leucura
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 6.5cm
Identification: Dark blue gray with yellow ventral fins and white tail; black edge marking extends from rear dorsal fin to rear anal fin, black spot covers pectoral fin base.
Favourite: Solitary or form small groups.
Hide-out: Around deep boulders or scattered coral in 16-119m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - Mauritius and Reunion Is. to N. Sumatra in Indonesia, S.W. Japan, Hawaii and French Polynesia.

Deep Reef Chromis

Scientific Name: Chromis delta
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 6.5cm
Identification: Gray; white band around base of tail, tail pale to translucent; black spot covers pectoral fin base.
Favourite: Solitary or form small groups.
Hide-out: Steep outer reef slopes in 10-80m.
Location: West Pacific - Indonesia to Fiji. Taiwan to N. Great Barrier Reef.

Doublebar Chromis

Scientific Name: Chromis opercularis
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 16cm
Identification: Charcoal-gray with pale scale centers; narrow black bar on gill cover, and broad black bar from rear upper corner of gill cover to pectoral fin base.
Favourite: Form groups.
Hide-out: Outer reef slopes in 10-40m.
Location: Indian Ocean - E. Africa to Andaman Sea and Seribu Is. off Java, Indonesia.

Spiny Chromis

Scientific Name: Acanthochromis polyacanthus
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 13cm
Identification: Visual ID nearly impossible due to highly variable color and markings depending on geographic location. Similar in shape to Chromis damselfishes, but much larger than most.
Favourite: Usually in pairs.
Hide-out: Shoreline, lagoon and outer reefs to 65m.
Location: Asian Pacific - Indonesia and Philippines to N. Australia and Solomon Is.

Pale-Tail Chromis

Scientific Name: Chromis xanthura
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 15cm
Identification: Dark charcoal-gray to blackish with white tail including base, but not rear dorsal and anal fins.
Favourite: Usually form groups.
Hide-out: Outer reef slopes in 3-40m.
Location: East Indo-Pacific - Cocos-Keeling Is. to Indonesia, Line Is. and Pitcaim Is. east of French Polynesia. S.W. Japan to N.W. and N.E. Australia and New Caledonia.

Indian Half-and-Half Chromis

Scientific Name: Chromis dimidiata
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 7cm
Identification: Dark brown to black head and forebody, white rear body and tail. Distinguished from Pacific Half-and-Half Chromis by location.
Favourite: Solitary or form groups.
Hide-out: Common near shore and on seaward reef slopes in 2-20m.
Location: Indian Ocean - Red Sea, E. Africa and Christmas I. to Sumatra and Java in Indonesia.

Pacific Half-and-Half Chromis

Scientific Name: Chromis iomelas
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 7cm
Identification: Dark brown to black head and forebody, white rear body and tail. Distinguished from Indian Half-and-Half Chromis by location.
Favourite: Solitary or form groups.
Hide-out: Outer reef areas in 3-35m.
Location: Southwestern Pacific - Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea to Fiji.

Black-Axil Chromis

Scientific Name: Chromis atripectoralis
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 10cm
Identification: Blue to pale green; black spot on axil of pectoral fin.
Favourite: Form large schools; feed in mid-water above coral thickets.
Hide-out: Lagoons and outer reefs in 2-15m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - Mascarene and Seychelles Is. to Pitcaim Is. east of French Polynesia. S.W. Japan to Great Barrier Reef and Lord Howe I.