All fish / Pomacentridae

Degruy's Chromis

Chromis degruyi

Also known as degruy's chromis, degruyi chromis, deep reef chromis, de gruy's chromis

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A small damselfish described in 2017 from deep twilight-zone reefs, with a bluish to lavender body, a dark-edged tail and yellowish fins. Collectors and public aquariums value it as a rare deep-water species that is seldom seen alive outside research.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

6 cm

Temperature

22 to 26 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

150 litres

Keep as

Single or a small group in a large tank

Diet

Carnivore: zooplankton such as mysis, enriched brine shrimp, copepods and fine marine pellets

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Central and western Pacific: deep mesophotic reefs of Hawaii, the Cook Islands, Vanuatu and Palau

Breeding

Like other chromis it probably lays sticky eggs on a hard surface, which the male guards, followed by planktonic larvae. It has not been bred in captivity.

Good to know

It lives at roughly 100 to 150 metres, so wild fish need careful decompression and prefer dim light and cooler water. Care figures are inferred from related chromis because it is so rarely kept.