Scissortail chromis (Chromis atrilobata)
Key facts
- Scientific name
- Chromis atrilobata
- Common name
- Scissortail chromis
- Category
- Fish
- Family
- Pomacentridae
- Genus
- Chromis
- Size
- 7–10 cm
- Depth
- 3–50 m
- IUCN status
- Least concern (LC)
- Danger level
- Harmless
- Habitats
- rocky-reef
- Behaviours
- schooling
- Ocean zones
- Caribbean, Eastern Pacific
Description
Chromis atrilobata reaches 10 cm. Small endemic Eastern Pacific chromis (Pomacentridae). Elongated gray-blue metallic to brown body with very distinctive two black caudal lobes (hence atrilobata) and strongly forked tail. Lives in dense schools from 3 to 50 m above rocky drop-offs from Gulf of California to Peru. Planktivore. Eastern Pacific cousin of Chromis limbata (batch 10 Macaronesia). Iconic wide-angle photo subject for swirling schools above Sea of Cortez pinnacles.
Frequently asked questions
- How big is the Scissortail chromis?
- Scissortail chromis (Chromis atrilobata) reaches 7–10 cm in length.
- At what depth can you find the Scissortail chromis?
- Scissortail chromis is found between 3–50 m deep.
- Is the Scissortail chromis dangerous to divers?
- Danger level: Harmless.
- What is the conservation status of the Scissortail chromis?
- IUCN status: Least concern (LC).
- Where can you find the Scissortail chromis?
- Found in: Caribbean, Eastern Pacific.
Other species in the genus Chromis
- Chromis cyanea - Blue chromis
- Chromis viridis - Blue-green chromis
- Chromis multilineata - Brown chromis
- Chromis limbata - Azores chromis
- Chromis cadenati - Cadenat's chromis
- Chromis limbaughi - Limbaugh's Chromis
Other species in the family Pomacentridae
- Amphiprion ocellaris - False clownfish
- Chromis chromis - Mediterranean damselfish
- Amphiprion bicinctus - Two-band anemonefish
- Abudefduf saxatilis - Sergeant major (Atlantic)
- Stegastes partitus - Bicolor damselfish
- Amphiprion akallopisos - Skunk clownfish
Sources
- Taxonomy: WoRMS (AphiaID 273712)
- Photos: iNaturalist (CC BY-NC)
- Distribution: GBIF (taxonKey 5212245)
- Conservation: IUCN Red List
- Encyclopedia: Wikipedia