Animalia Life

Chromis cyanea
FAMILY
Pomacentridae
TAXONOMY
Chromis cyanea Poey, 1860, Cuba.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
Spanish: Cromis azul.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Total length 6 in (15 cm). Shimmering, blue with black dorsal shading, strongly forked tail, and dark eyes. Tail and belly also have some black coloration.
DISTRIBUTION
Western Atlantic Ocean near Bermuda, also from northern South America to the West Indies and into the Gulf of Mexico.
HABITAT
Reef fish, prefers deeper waters up to 200 ft (61 m) deep with coral overhangs and crevices where it can take shelter when threatened.
BEHAVIOR
Travels in sometimes multispecies schools, especially when feeding. Usually shy, will dash to the cover of reef when it feels threatened, and has been observed to dim its bright blue coloration to a duller gray.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Engages in group feeding of drifting zooplankton, but is territorial when feeding on algae and will defend an area against other algae-feeding species.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Male may spawn with several females and guards all eggs in his nest until hatching, which takes up to one week.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not listed by the IUCN.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
A popular commercial aquarium fish.

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