Green chromis variants?

[reef_doug]

What's the difference between these three?
Is one better to keep than the others?

Chromis Viridus
Chromis atripectoralis Black-Axil
Chromis cyanea

Thanks

 

[OodleyBoodely]

The first two are often sold as C. viridis, green chromis. the black axle looks the same except it has a small black spot on the pectoral fins. The C. cyanea is the blue chromis, looks differant and gets a couple inches larger. All are peaceful reefsafe fish that shoal nicely as juvies, but, tend to pair off as adults and can get aggressive with conspecifics.

 

[Canoe]

In the home aquarium, will Chromis Viridus Blue-Green & Chromis atripectoralis Black-Axil school together. As in, three of each for a school of six?

 

[rssjsb]

In addition to the color difference, I think the viridis tends to be a little more fragile. It can be hard to get a good stable group because they don't really ship very well.

Canoe - they may hang out together or just in eyesight of each other, but don't swim in formation like schooling fish in the ocean.

 

[64Ivy]

I've been maintaining my shoal (x16) of Black Axils for nearly a year, after failing to keep viridus alive for any appreciable length of time at all. MUCH hardier. Also, far less prone to torture each other to death or pair up and then torture each other to death.

Never tried cyanea.

 

[Ostara]

My experience is the same as Ivy's. I've kept groups of black axils for long periods without issue. They shoal more and bicker less. They do not go well with viridis though. I tried that as well but the viridis grew faster and were more aggressive. They picked on the black axils, so I got rid of them and kept only the axils. They are also much prettier than the viridis in my opinion. More of a bright, jewel-like blue green instead of a dull pale green.