Name that Chromis game

[mistfall]

Hello all

At on of my LFS today I was surprised to see some damsels in a tank of "Green Chromis" that didn't look to me like green chromis, i.e. Chromis viridis. The LFS guys insisted that they were the same species, but I'm dubious.

I'll post a good pic as soon as I can capture one with my phone, but in the mean time, here's the critter specs:

They are the same color as C. viridis. The color is uniform, except the caudal fin has a thin dark outline; none of the C. viridis they were with had an outlined caudal fin. They are significantly deeper in body than C. viridis from dorsal to ventral, giving them an over-all more round body shape rather than elongated. They do not hold their dorsal fin in the sort of low, clamped down way that C. viridis do, but more extended, like C. atripectoralis or C. limbaughi.

They do not have dark spots at the base of the pectoral fin, or white spots on the body.

After "lights out", they have a very pronounced wide vertical barring on the body that my C. viridis do not have.

I have no idea the age of the fish; they and the green chromis they were with are about 1 inch long.

Any theories?

 

[mistfall]

photos of oddball chromis

photos of oddball chromis

Further observations:

The swimming habits are different. It swims in short darts, and flares its dorsal fin each time it stops.

 

[ExploitedSanity]

You say wide bars?

Years ago, I had purchased three "green chromis" that I knew weren't. They turned out to be a Staghorn Damsel. I still have one of those three today.

This was back when I had it in a 75 gallon.

This is the same when I was setting up the 58 I have now.

 

[Dmorty217]

^+1

 

[frostyjay1]

cool looking fish. hows the temperment

 

[mistfall]

It could be a Staghorn damsel. At this age, anyway, it doesn't have the yellow in it that I see in the pics of the staghorns, ... I'm also wondering if could be an Ambon Chromis.

Mine is very peaceful, much the same sort of temperment as a green chromis, and seems happy to shoal with them. It hasn't picked on anything, and eats whatever is offered.

 

[ExploitedSanity]

It could be a Staghorn damsel. At this age, anyway, it doesn't have the yellow in it that I see in the pics of the staghorns, ... I'm also wondering if could be an Ambon Chromis.

Mine is very peaceful, much the same sort of temperment as a green chromis, and seems happy to shoal with them. It hasn't picked on anything, and eats whatever is offered.

Mine never had any yellow in it but mine is definitely a Staghorn. As for behavior? I had three of them a little over 5 years ago and they were all nice nice. Since losing the other two, it is NASTY. Not as nasty as my Gold Banded Maroon but it's up there.