Black-axil chromis
Chromis atripectoralis
- Usual depth2–7 m
- Water temperature22–30 °C
- Best monthsSeptember, October, and November
- How commonOccasional
Photo credit: (c) Andrew Allen, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Andrew Allen · CC BY · iNaturalist
About this species
The black-axil chromis, also known as the blackfin chromis or blue-green puller, is a damselfish from the tropical Indo-Pacific. This fish can reach almost 12 centimetres (4.7 in) in length. It inhabits lagoons and reefs after settlement in the late-larval stage, and often occurs in large numbers, feeding above Acropora corals. This fish mostly feeds upon copepods, amphipods, and zoea.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Chromis atripectoralis”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article
Where and when
Where it has been recorded
Worldwide
Loading the map
Best months
Worldwide (open data)
- January: 90 records
- February: 92 records
- March: 135 records
- April: 107 records
- May: 201 records
- June: 148 records
- July: 139 records
- August: 173 records
- September: 210 records
- October: 206 records
- November: 228 records
- December: 81 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 2–7 m · Deepest record: 26 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 22–30 °C
Photos
(c) Julien Renoult, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Martin Rady, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Ditch Townsend, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist 
(c) Nicola Crockford, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Rosie Steinberg, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Hugo Innes, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Debra Baker, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
Names and classification
- English
- Black-axil chromis, black-axil chromis, Black-axil Chromis, Blackaxil Chromis, Black-axil Puller, Blackaxil Puller, blackfin chromis, Blue-green Puller
Names in 5 more languages
- German
- Schwarzachsel-Chromis, Schwarzachsel-Schwalbenschwänzchen
- Spanish
- Castañuela celeste
- French
- Chromis à tache axillaire noire
- Japanese
- Aobasuzumedai, アオバスズメダイ
- Simplified Chinese
- 厚殼仔, 綠光鰓魚, 黑腋光鰓魚
Similar species
Black ChromisChromis xanthura
Ternate chromisChromis ternatensis
Blue-green damselfishChromis viridis
Weber's chromisChromis weberi
Alpha ChromisChromis alpha
Brown PullerChromis analis
Sources and credits
Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).
- Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
- Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
- Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
- 2,788 open-data records from 1908 to 2023.
- Species data updated October 26, 2026.
Log what you see on your next dive
The free DiveHive diver app keeps your logbook with every sighting and shows what lives at the site you dive next.