Dr. Paddy Ryan, USA
Info
Chromis viridis (Cuvier, 1830)
Chromis is probably the most species-rich genus of damselfish (Pomacentridae). In German, the fish are also often called swallowtails. They are (at least in the sea) schooling fish, which live in tropical but also subtropical coral reefs of the Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific, here mostly in a depth distribution of about 15- 20 meters. Only a few go significantly deeper.
In itself the Chromis viridis is advertised as a schooling fish and so also led by us here in the encyclopedia for a long time. But the shoaling is often only a matter of time.
Chromis damselflies like to dive into large acroporas when they are threatened, so at least one easier to maintain, larger acropora in the tank makes sense.
As damselflies get larger, they usually form pairs and therefore have problems with each other, especially when they want to spawn.
The dominant male chases the females through the tank and pushes them to mate.
So only conditionally a schooling fish!
Synonymised names
Dascyllus cyanurus Rüppell, 1838 · unaccepted
Glyphisodon bandanensis Bleeker, 1851 · unaccepted
Heliases frenatus Cuvier, 1830 · unaccepted
Heliases lepisurus Cuvier, 1830 · unaccepted
Pomacentrus viridis Cuvier, 1830 · unaccepted
The term "reef safe" is often used in marine aquaristics, especially when buying a new species people often ask if the new animal is "reef safe".
What exactly does reef safe mean?
To answer this question, you can ask target-oriented questions and inquire in forums, clubs, dealers and with aquarist friends:
- Are there already experiences and keeping reports that assure that the new animal can live in other suitably equipped aquariums without ever having caused problems?
- Is there any experience of invertebrates (crustaceans, hermits, mussels, snails) or corals being attacked by other inhabitants such as fish of the same or a different species?
- Is any information known or expected about a possible change in dietary habits, e.g., from a plant-based diet to a meat-based diet?
- Do the desired animals leave the reef structure "alone", do they constantly change it (boring starfish, digger gobies, parrotfish, triggerfish) and thus disturb or displace other co-inhabitants?
- do new animals tend to get diseases repeatedly and very quickly and can they be treated?
- Do known peaceful animals change their character in the course of their life and become aggressive?
- Can the death of a new animal possibly even lead to the death of the rest of the stock through poisoning (possible with some species of sea cucumbers)?
- Last but not least the keeper of the animals has to be included in the "reef safety", there are actively poisonous, passively poisonous animals, animals that have dangerous biting or stinging weapons, animals with extremely strong nettle poisons, these have to be (er)known and a plan of action should have been made in advance in case of an attack on the aquarist (e.g. telephone numbers of the poison control center, the treating doctor, the tropical institute etc.).
If all questions are evaluated positively in the sense of the animal(s) and the keeper, then one can assume a "reef safety".
Chromis is probably the most species-rich genus of damselfish (Pomacentridae). In German, the fish are also often called swallowtails. They are (at least in the sea) schooling fish, which live in tropical but also subtropical coral reefs of the Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific, here mostly in a depth distribution of about 15- 20 meters. Only a few go significantly deeper.
In itself the Chromis viridis is advertised as a schooling fish and so also led by us here in the encyclopedia for a long time. But the shoaling is often only a matter of time.
Chromis damselflies like to dive into large acroporas when they are threatened, so at least one easier to maintain, larger acropora in the tank makes sense.
As damselflies get larger, they usually form pairs and therefore have problems with each other, especially when they want to spawn.
The dominant male chases the females through the tank and pushes them to mate.
So only conditionally a schooling fish!
Synonymised names
Dascyllus cyanurus Rüppell, 1838 · unaccepted
Glyphisodon bandanensis Bleeker, 1851 · unaccepted
Heliases frenatus Cuvier, 1830 · unaccepted
Heliases lepisurus Cuvier, 1830 · unaccepted
Pomacentrus viridis Cuvier, 1830 · unaccepted
The term "reef safe" is often used in marine aquaristics, especially when buying a new species people often ask if the new animal is "reef safe".
What exactly does reef safe mean?
To answer this question, you can ask target-oriented questions and inquire in forums, clubs, dealers and with aquarist friends:
- Are there already experiences and keeping reports that assure that the new animal can live in other suitably equipped aquariums without ever having caused problems?
- Is there any experience of invertebrates (crustaceans, hermits, mussels, snails) or corals being attacked by other inhabitants such as fish of the same or a different species?
- Is any information known or expected about a possible change in dietary habits, e.g., from a plant-based diet to a meat-based diet?
- Do the desired animals leave the reef structure "alone", do they constantly change it (boring starfish, digger gobies, parrotfish, triggerfish) and thus disturb or displace other co-inhabitants?
- do new animals tend to get diseases repeatedly and very quickly and can they be treated?
- Do known peaceful animals change their character in the course of their life and become aggressive?
- Can the death of a new animal possibly even lead to the death of the rest of the stock through poisoning (possible with some species of sea cucumbers)?
- Last but not least the keeper of the animals has to be included in the "reef safety", there are actively poisonous, passively poisonous animals, animals that have dangerous biting or stinging weapons, animals with extremely strong nettle poisons, these have to be (er)known and a plan of action should have been made in advance in case of an attack on the aquarist (e.g. telephone numbers of the poison control center, the treating doctor, the tropical institute etc.).
If all questions are evaluated positively in the sense of the animal(s) and the keeper, then one can assume a "reef safety".
