Chromis acares

Randall & Swerdloff, 1973

Midget Chromis

Range: Central Pacific Ocean: Mariana Islands to Hawaiian Islands, south to Vanuatu and Austral Islands.

Size: 2 inches (5 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits outer reef faces and slopes, clear water lagoons and reef channels at depths between 6 to about 115 feet (2 – 35 m) and found in small and large shoals where it feeds mainly on planktonic crustaceans (copepods, mysis, and shrimp larvae), fish eggs, and algae.

General Husbandry: Rarely seen in the trade and somewhat attractive, with adults having a tannish/sometimes greyish body, often with a yellow dot on the upper rear body and its anal fin black and edged in white. Junveniles tend to have a somewhat orange-yellowish coloration on the caudal peduncle and facial areas.

As with most Chromis species (unless noted differently), quite hardy, peaceful, and better maintained in small groups of at least five to seven members. Should be given wide-open swimming areas, as they are open water swimmers almost always in the upper aquarium areas, and non-aggressive tankmates.

As to diet, will eat most regular aquarium foods, e.g., live fortified brine shrimp and/or finely chopped various frozen or fresh meaty foods such as mysis, squid, fish flesh, shrimp, clam, etc., and plant material, e.g., flake foods, especially those containing Spirulina and should be offered several times daily.

Taxonomy:

Order: Perciformes

Suborder: Labroidei

Family: Pomacentridae

Subfamily: Chrominae

Genus: Chromis

FYI: Even though quite passive and will ignore other fish in the aquarium, larger aquariums, e.g., 50 gallons and above, provide far more openness for small shoals to ‘peacefully’ coexist.

If maintained in groups of less than mentioned above, they tend to be over dominate of each other and may force some members into hiding. The bigger the group, the less intergroup picking on each other exists.

Experience Level: Beginner

Temperament: Peaceful

Diet: Zooplanktivore/Omnivore

Coral Safe: Yes

Invertebrate Safe: Yes

Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+

Aquarium Environment: Reef or fish-only aquarium

Tankmates: Peaceful

Minimum Tank Size: 50 gallons

Temperature Range: 72 - 84°F (22 – 28°C)

Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026

pH: 8.0 - 8.5