The Green Chromis, Chromis viridis, is a species of damselfish

Damselfish

Damselfish comprise the family Pomacentridae except those of the genera Amphiprion and Premnas. They can grow up to long. While most are marine, a few species inhabit the lower stretches of rivers in freshwater. Damselfish usually have bright colors. in tropical coral reefs, and many of those are...

. Individuals tend to be iridescent

Iridescence

Iridescence is generally known as the property of certain surfaces which appear to change color as the angle of view or the angle of illumination changes...

 apple-green and light blue, and reach a length of about 3 in (8 cm).

It is sometimes called "Blue-green Chromis", but that may also refer to C. caerulea or Blue Puller, a close relative that is sometimes considered conspecific.

Habitat

The species is found in the Indo-Pacific

Indo-Pacific

The Indo-Pacific is a biogeographic region of the Earth's seas, comprising the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the seas connecting the two in the general area of Indonesia...

. They live in large aggregations above Acropora

Acropora

Acropora is a genus of scleractinian coral in the Phylum Cnidaria. Some of its species are known as table coral, elkhorn coral and staghorn coral. There are currently 149 described species...

coral

Coral

Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...

s in sheltered areas such as lagoon

Lagoon

A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...

s and reef

Reef

In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....

 flats and feed on phytoplankton

Phytoplankton

Phytoplankton are the autotrophic component of the plankton community. The name comes from the Greek words φυτόν , meaning "plant", and πλαγκτός , meaning "wanderer" or "drifter". Most phytoplankton are too small to be individually seen with the unaided eye...

. Juveniles live closely tied to individual coral heads.

Reproduction

C. viridis spawn over sand and rubble. The male prepares the nest which is shared with several females. The large number of egg

Egg (biology)

An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...

s will hatch in 2-3 days. The male guards the nest, ventilating it with its fins and feeding on those eggs that do not hatch.

In aquaria

In a marine aquarium

Marine aquarium

A marine aquarium is an aquarium that keeps marine plants and animals in a contained environment. Marine aquaria are further subdivided by hobbyists into fish only , fish only with live rock , and reef aquaria. Fish only tanks often showcase large or aggressive marine fish species and generally...

, schools should be kept in small groups of odd numbers. The Green Chromis is excellent for the saltwater aquarium novice because it is a peaceful and hardy fish. A small school will be more comfortable in a 30 gallon tank but a single specimen can be kept in a 10 gallon tank.

Tankmates

The Green Chromis should not be housed with larger predatory fish, as they may become food themselves. Groupers, lionfish, and eels all present an element of danger for this peaceful species.