All fish / Pomacentridae

Smoky Chromis

Chromis fumea

Also known as smoky chromis, smokey chromis, fumea chromis, dusky chromis, コビトスズメダイ, 烟色光鳃鱼

A small, greyish brown damselfish with a pale belly, a white spot at the back of the dorsal fin base and dark edges on the forked tail lobes. It lives in schools above sandy and rubble reef slopes in subtropical waters and is kept as a hardy, active open water fish for reef and fish-only tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

9 cm

Temperature

22 to 27 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

200 litres

Keep as

Group of 5 or more in a larger tank, or singly

Diet

Omnivore: mysis, brine shrimp, copepods, quality flakes and pellets fed several times daily

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 8 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Pacific: southern Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Indonesia to Australia and New Caledonia

Breeding

Males prepare a nest on hard substrate and guard the sticky eggs after spawning. Spawning can happen in captivity, but raising the tiny pelagic larvae is difficult and rarely achieved by hobbyists.

Good to know

Becomes more territorial with age, so groups need space and should be added together. Often confused with other plain brown chromis species such as Chromis margaritifer look-alikes and Chromis weberi.