All fish / Pomacentridae

Threespot Chromis

Chromis verater

Also known as three spot chromis, threespot chromis, verater chromis, three-spot damselfish, hawaiian threespot chromis, ミツボシスズメダイ, 三斑光鳃鱼

A large, dark charcoal to black chromis with white spots at the base of the dorsal and anal fins and at the tail root, plus white edges to the tail lobes. It is one of the bigger chromis species and is collected from deeper Hawaiian reefs, appealing to keepers who want an unusual, hardy-looking planktivore for a big reef or fish-only system.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

15 cm

Temperature

22 to 26 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

300 litres

Keep as

Singly or a small group in a large tank

Diet

Omnivore: mysis, krill, enriched brine shrimp, quality marine flakes and pellets

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Hawaiian Islands and Johnston Atoll (endemic)

Breeding

Males prepare a nest site on rock and guard the sticky eggs laid by the female until they hatch. Spawning can happen in large aquariums, but rearing the tiny pelagic larvae is very difficult and rarely achieved.

Good to know

Grows to around 15 to 20 cm and becomes more territorial with age than most chromis, so give it a large tank and robust tankmates. Deep-water collected specimens can be sensitive to warm water and shipping stress, so acclimate carefully.