All fish / Pomacentridae

Blackbar Chromis

Chromis retrofasciata

Also known as black-bar chromis, blackbar chromis, black bar chromis, white-tail chromis, yes, ヒレナガスズメダイ, 黑带光鳃鱼

A small, tan to brownish damselfish with a bold dark vertical bar towards the rear of the body and a pale tail. It stays small and peaceful compared with most damselfish, so it suits reef aquariums and smaller marine setups. In the wild it lives around coral heads on outer reef slopes, usually in fairly deep water.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

5 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

100 litres

Keep as

Small group of 3 or more, or singly

Diet

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

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 8 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Pacific: Indonesia and Philippines to Papua New Guinea, northern Australia, New Caledonia and Fiji

Breeding

Like other chromis it lays sticky eggs on a cleaned hard surface, which the male guards until they hatch. Captive breeding is rarely reported, as the tiny pelagic larvae need live plankton and are difficult to raise.

Good to know

Generally reef safe and mild, but it can become territorial in cramped tanks, so give it rockwork with hiding places. The 'Yes[49]:191' trade name in the listing looks like a scraped citation fragment rather than a genuine name.