All fish / Pomacentridae

Pearl-spot Chromis

Chromis notata

Also known as pearlspot chromis, pearl spot chromis, whitespot chromis, notata chromis, temperate damselfish, スズメダイ, 斑鳍光鳃鱼, 斑光鳃鱼

A sturdy brownish damselfish with a pale spot below the rear of the dorsal fin and a deeply forked tail. It comes from rocky reefs in subtropical and temperate waters, so it suits cooler marine tanks where most tropical reef fish would struggle. Keepers value it as a hardy, active open-water fish that schools in large groups in the wild.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

12 cm

Temperature

16 to 24 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

300 litres

Keep as

Group of 5 or more in a large tank, or a single fish

Diet

Carnivore: zooplankton, mysis, brine shrimp, krill and quality marine pellets and flakes

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Northwest Pacific: southern Japan, Korea, Taiwan and southern China

Breeding

Males clean a patch of rock where females lay sticky eggs, and the male guards them until they hatch. Spawning can happen in large aquariums, but rearing the tiny planktonic larvae is difficult and rarely achieved at home.

Good to know

It prefers cooler water than most reef fish and can become quarrelsome in small tanks, so give plenty of swimming space. Not to be confused with the tropical blue-green chromis sold under similar names.