CHROMIS XANTHURA - (BLEEKER, 1854)
Actinopterygii (Gigaclass) > Actinopteri (Class) > Teleostei (Subclass) > Blenniiformes (Order) > Pomacentridae (Family) > Chrominae (Subfamily) > Chromis (Genus)
Demoiselle à queue jaune, Black chromis, Long-tail puller, Pale tail chromis, Pale-tail puller, Paletail chromis, Bleghalet jomfrufisk, Castañuela cola blanca, Mon-suzumedai, モンスズメダイ, 黃尾光鰓魚, 黃尾光鰓雀鯛,
Étymologie
Chromis : c'est le nom d’un poisson non identifié qu’Aristote mentionne dans son Histoire des animaux (Livres IV, V et VIII) et dont il dit notamment qu’il a l’oreille fine et peut émettre un grognement.
xanthura : du préfixe Grec, xanthe = couleur jaune + du Grec, oura = précise la queue ou le pédoncule caudal chez les poissons ou une terminaison comme une partie des ailes chez un papillon ou un insecte. Cette épithète indique donc à queue jaune, et n'est employé que dans le règne animal, pas en botanique.
Description originale : Heliases xanthurus Bleeker, 1854 - Localité type : Banda Neira, chef-lieu du district de l'archipel des îles Banda, dans la province des Moluques, Indonésie.
Synonymes
Chromis xanthurus (Bleeker, 1854)
Heliases xanthurus (Bleeker, 1854)
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Description
Dorsal spines (total): 13; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10-11; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 9-10; Pectoral fin rays: 18-20; Lateral line scales: 16-19; Body depth: 2.1-2.3 in Standard Length. 3 spinous procurrent rays on upper and lower orgins of caudal fin. Gill rakers (first arch): 26-30. Max. length: 17.0 cm TL. Depth range: 3 - 40 m.
Color
Color variation with size and location. A bluish-grey chromis with dark scale edges, usually a white tail, and a blackish bar at the preoperculum and another at the rear of the head. Juveniles have yellow on the outer caudal-fin lobes and yellow on the prolonged soft dorsal and anal fin rays. Some individuals have a black caudal fin.
Etymology
Chromis: from Greek, chroemo = to neigh. A name dating to Aristotle, referring to a drum (Sciaenidae) and its ability to make noise; Later applied to this damselfish and subsequently expanded to embrace dottybacks, cichlids and wrasses (all perch-like fishes once thought to be related).
xanthura: from Greek prefix, xanth- = yellow + from Greek, oura = tail. Referring to yellow on outer caudal-fin lobes of juveniles.
Original description: Heliases xanthurus Bleeker, 1854 - Type locality: Banda Neira, Banda Islands, Molucca Islands, Indonesia.
Distribution
Indo-West Pacific: Réunion (Mascarenes), Christmas and Cocos-Keeling islands (Australia), east to Pitcairn Group, north to southern Japan, south to Western Australia, Queensland (Australia), New Caledonia and Tonga.
Biology
Adults are found in steep outer reef slopes and shallow coastal reef flats, sometimes forming large aggregations feeding on zooplankton several meters above the bottom. Juveniles remain close to shelter. Oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding. Eggs are demersal and adhere to the substrate. Nests are found in small patches of loose sand under ledges or at the base of slopes. Males guard and aerate the eggs. Aquarium fish.
Similar species
Étymologie
Chromis : c'est le nom d’un poisson non identifié qu’Aristote mentionne dans son Histoire des animaux (Livres IV, V et VIII) et dont il dit notamment qu’il a l’oreille fine et peut émettre un grognement.
xanthura : du préfixe Grec, xanthe = couleur jaune + du Grec, oura = précise la queue ou le pédoncule caudal chez les poissons ou une terminaison comme une partie des ailes chez un papillon ou un insecte. Cette épithète indique donc à queue jaune, et n'est employé que dans le règne animal, pas en botanique.
Description originale : Heliases xanthurus Bleeker, 1854 - Localité type : Banda Neira, chef-lieu du district de l'archipel des îles Banda, dans la province des Moluques, Indonésie.
Synonymes
Chromis xanthurus (Bleeker, 1854)
Heliases xanthurus (Bleeker, 1854)
-----------------------------
Description
Dorsal spines (total): 13; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10-11; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 9-10; Pectoral fin rays: 18-20; Lateral line scales: 16-19; Body depth: 2.1-2.3 in Standard Length. 3 spinous procurrent rays on upper and lower orgins of caudal fin. Gill rakers (first arch): 26-30. Max. length: 17.0 cm TL. Depth range: 3 - 40 m.
Color
Color variation with size and location. A bluish-grey chromis with dark scale edges, usually a white tail, and a blackish bar at the preoperculum and another at the rear of the head. Juveniles have yellow on the outer caudal-fin lobes and yellow on the prolonged soft dorsal and anal fin rays. Some individuals have a black caudal fin.
Etymology
Chromis: from Greek, chroemo = to neigh. A name dating to Aristotle, referring to a drum (Sciaenidae) and its ability to make noise; Later applied to this damselfish and subsequently expanded to embrace dottybacks, cichlids and wrasses (all perch-like fishes once thought to be related).
xanthura: from Greek prefix, xanth- = yellow + from Greek, oura = tail. Referring to yellow on outer caudal-fin lobes of juveniles.
Original description: Heliases xanthurus Bleeker, 1854 - Type locality: Banda Neira, Banda Islands, Molucca Islands, Indonesia.
Distribution
Indo-West Pacific: Réunion (Mascarenes), Christmas and Cocos-Keeling islands (Australia), east to Pitcairn Group, north to southern Japan, south to Western Australia, Queensland (Australia), New Caledonia and Tonga.
Biology
Adults are found in steep outer reef slopes and shallow coastal reef flats, sometimes forming large aggregations feeding on zooplankton several meters above the bottom. Juveniles remain close to shelter. Oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding. Eggs are demersal and adhere to the substrate. Nests are found in small patches of loose sand under ledges or at the base of slopes. Males guard and aerate the eggs. Aquarium fish.
Similar species
- Chromis anadema (Motomura, Nishiyama & Chiba, 2017) - Reported from Western, central and South Pacific: Ryukyu Islands, southern Japan, Palau, Mariana Islands, Marquesas Islands, Society Islands, Gambier Islands and Pitcairn Islands.
- Chromis opercularis (Günther, 1867) - Reported from Indian Ocean: KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa), East Africa (Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya), Mozambique Channel, Seychelles and Madagascar, east to western Indonesia. Chromis opercularis differs in having a well-defined broad dark bar on the rear of the gill cover that extends onto the pectoral fin base (vs. a narrower and less-defined blackish bar). Adult Chromis opercularis also have a dusky-grey to brownish tail, often with a yellowish caudal peduncle, while adult Chromis xanthura usually have a white tail and caudal peduncle (occasionally a dark tail). Juveniles of both species are very similar and difficult to tell apart.
- Chromis torquata (Allen, 2018) - Reported from Southwestern Indian Ocean: Mauritius and Réunion (western Mascarenes).
- Pycnochromis iomelas (Jordan & Seale, 1906) - Reported from New Caledonia - Link to the species (here).
- Pycnochromis margaritifer (Fowler, 1946) - Reported from New Caledonia - Link to the species (here). It has white tail and tailbase and rear margin of Dorsal (vs. whole hindbody white, including Anal and 50% Dorsal).
Last update: 12, October 2024