About Ternate Chromis
Schooling damselfish for the open water column — a peaceful counterpoint to the more aggressive blue-green chromis. Hardy and beginner-friendly, but the group will thin itself down to one or two over time.
Notes from the editors
What it looks like. Pale silver body with a yellow-green dorsal flush and forked tail. Less metallic than blue-green chromis (Chromis viridis) but distinctly more peaceful. Adult size ~4 inches.
In your tank. Schooling damselfish best kept in groups of 5–7 minimum. Will visibly school in open water, adding constant motion to a tank. Hardier than blue-green chromis but the group still thins over months — pecking-order aggression eventually reduces most groups to one or two survivors.
Care notes. Add the full group simultaneously, not in waves. Provide open swimming space in the upper water column. Reef-safe and peaceful with non-territorial neighbors.
Sourcing and feeding. Wild-collected; widely available and inexpensive ($10–20 each). Omnivore — pellets, frozen mysis, frozen brine, daily feeding.
Care info is a starting point, not a guarantee. Individual specimens, water chemistry, and tankmate dynamics vary. Verify against multiple sources and adjust to what you observe. See our terms & disclaimers.
Related fish
Sources & attribution
- Taxonomy and accepted name from the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS AphiaID 212810).
- Photo: (c) Storm Martin, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY (via iNaturalist or Wikimedia Commons).