All fish / Pomacentridae

Yellow-speckled Chromis

Chromis alpha

Also known as yellow speckled chromis, alpha chromis, yellowspeckled chromis, alpha damsel

A dusky brown to grey chromis with fine yellow speckling on the scales, a yellowish tail and a bright blue line or spots near the eye. It lives on outer reef slopes, usually in deeper water than most chromis, and is kept for its subtle colour and active swimming in reef tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

10 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

200 litres

Keep as

Singly or in a small group in a large tank

Diet

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

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 8 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-West Pacific: Cocos-Keeling and Indonesia to the Philippines, Marshall Islands, Samoa and New Caledonia

Breeding

Like other damselfish it lays sticky eggs on a cleaned hard surface, and the male guards them until they hatch. Captive breeding is rarely reported because the tiny pelagic larvae are hard to rear.

Good to know

It is collected from fairly deep water and seldom traded, so specimens can be pricey and need gentle acclimation. Adults can be more territorial than the familiar green chromis, so give them plenty of space and rockwork.