Green Chromis

The Green Chromis is easy to care for, beautiful, and peaceful. In fact, Green Chromis is one of the preferred marine reef fish amongst aquarists, regardless of their experience level. This member of the Pomacentridae family is most recognizable by its gorgeous light blue dorsal side that slowly fades into a majestic pale green belly. The Green Chromis is desirable not only for its beauty, but also for its peaceful demeanor (despite its designation as a true damselfish) and ability to be kept with almost all other community fish, invertebrates, and corals.

Native to reefs ranging from mid-depth to shallow lagoons of the Indo-Pacific and South Pacific, wild specimens prefer to school in large shoals amongst branching corals like Acropora. In the home aquarium, the Green Chromis does best in similar environments and will actively swim at all levels of the aquarium water column. In fact, a small school of Green Chromis comprised of at least six individuals adds a dazzling and dramatic shimmer of beauty to almost any well-established reef system. In smaller groups, those individuals on the bottom of the pecking order may be harassed. Overall, the Green Chromis is very hardy and can live between 8 to 15 years in aquariums with excellent water quality.

For best care, feed several times throughout the day with a varied diet of meaty foods, herbivore flakes, and frozen preparations. Vitamin-enriched foods may also help to preserve body colourations.

Some aquarists have successfully bred the Green Chromis in the home aquarium. Interestingly, the body colour of mature males, ready to nest, changes to a muted yellow colour. However, breeding success requires perfect water parameters in only the largest of non-predatory aquarium systems.

This species is similar in apperance to Black Axil Chromis (C.atripectoralis), which differs in having a dark spot on the pectoral fin axil.