All fish / Pomacentridae

White-caudal Chromis

Chromis albicauda

Also known as white-caudal chromis, whitetail chromis, white tail chromis, azurina albicauda

A fairly large chromis with a dusky brown to grey body set off by a clean white tail. It lives in shoals in cool, current-swept water off Bali and southern Japan, where it picks plankton from open water. Hobbyists value it as an unusual, peaceful shoaling fish for big reef tanks, though it is rarely offered for sale.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

12 cm

Temperature

22 to 26 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

400 litres

Keep as

Group of 5 or more in a large tank

Diet

Carnivore: zooplankton feeder; mysis, enriched brine shrimp, copepods, fine marine pellets and flakes several times a day

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Pacific: Nusa Penida (Bali, Indonesia) and southern Japan

Breeding

Pairs lay eggs on a cleared hard surface and the male guards and fans them until they hatch. It has not been bred in captivity in any meaningful numbers, and raising the tiny planktonic larvae would be very difficult.

Good to know

It grows to about 13 cm and comes from cool upwelling water, so it may struggle in warm reef tanks and needs plenty of swimming room and strong flow. A recent revision of the damselfishes places it in the genus Azurina, so you may see it listed under either name.