12/12/2006 - FijiFAQ#3 - What are the little blue fish called?

Posted in FijiFAQ
Good question. Either way it's easy to see why they caught your eye, both being vividly coloured, but the answer really depends on whether you're talking about a) a solitary fish or b) a large school and good Gogglers should know the difference.

a) If the fish was on its own then it's probably a Fiji Devil Damsel (Chrysiptera taupou, 1906). If you look very closely they have an upwards-arcing dark stripe through their eyes. They also have orange colouration on their underside, which distinguishes them from other Devil Damsels (Chrysiptera cyanea), as well as on their dorsal fins, which distinguishes them from Half-Blue or Azure Damsels (Chrysiptera hemicyanea). These fish are not particularly sociable to begin with and get less so as they get older.



b) If the fish you are looking at are around or in amongst colony of staghorn or other branching coral with lots of friends then they are almost certainly Blue-Green Chromis (Chromis viridis, 1830). These are schooling fish that feed on plankton but like to have a safe haven to retreat into when they feel threatened.





 
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