Marine life  /  Damselfish  /  Brown chromis
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Species entry

Brown chromis

Azurina multilineata

Olive-brown with a yellow tail base and a white spot at the rear of the dorsal fin, in mixed clouds with the blue chromis.

Size
To 20 cm
Depth
5–35 m
Habitat
Mid-water above the wall
Active
Daylight
Range
Western Atlantic
Rarity
Bahamas
1 star of 5, found on most dives
SP-01
brown chromis · full body · habitat
4:3 · min 2400px

To about 20 cm. Grey-brown with black upper and lower tail edges, a white spot just below the rear end of the dorsal fin base, and a blackish mark in the pectoral armpit.

It schools alongside the blue chromis and the separation is straightforward: the white spot below the rear dorsal and the dark pectoral mark, neither of which the blue chromis has, and the blue chromis is blue.

Nought to sixty metres on steep slopes and patch reefs. It feeds by day in moderate schools over the reef top, rising off the bottom for copepods. Eggs are laid on the bottom and the male guards and fans them.

The genus has moved: Azurina multilineata is accepted, Chromis multilineata superseded.

Where to find:

LocationRarity Best monthsDepthHabitat
Bahamas Bahamas editorial estimate
1 star of 5, found on most dives
Year-round
5–35 m
Mid-water above the wall
Cayman Islands Cayman Islands editorial estimate
1 star of 5, found on most dives
Year-round
5–35 m
Mid-water above the wall
Florida United States editorial estimate
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Year-round
5–35 m
Mid-water above reef

Ratings are per location: 1 means found on most dives that look for it, 5 means a handful of records. Where enough dives have been logged the figure is calculated from them; otherwise it is an editorial estimate, and says so. We publish habitat and destination, not the dive site.

Related species

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arabian chromis
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Chromis flavaxilla
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bicolor damselfish
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black damsel
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Black damsel
Neoglyphidodon melas
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blue chromis
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Blue chromis
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