Chromis flavaxilla
A small, uncommon damselfish logged across Marsa Alam and South Sinai reefs, sitting in warm 26-29C water year-round.
A slim, disc-shaped damselfish reaching only about 5 cm, with a pale blue-grey body that fades into a yellow patch at the base of the tail. Look for the forked tail itself, which stays translucent to pale yellow, and the way the whole fish sits just off the reef in loose, hovering clusters rather than pinned to one coral head. There's no strong difference between males and females to key on underwater.
Expect to find small groups hovering a body length or two above rubble patches, coral rock, or the lower reef slope, picking at plankton drifting past in the current. They don't dart for shelter the way many damselfish do, holding position calmly as divers pass, though they'll drift back toward structure if you get too close. Most sightings come from reef flats and slopes rather than deep drop-offs.
Like most chromis, it feeds mainly by picking zooplankton straight out of the water column rather than grazing algae off the reef, which is why you'll usually see it suspended above the substrate instead of nibbling on it.
There's no clear seasonal pattern in the sightings, and with a comfortable range of roughly 26 to 29 C, these reefs stay within its niche all year, so any month works for a Red Sea trip.
Reef neighbours a diver could mistake it for. Use the identification notes above to tell them apart.
This is a Red Sea specialist, most reliably logged across Egypt, especially in Marsa Alam and the Deep South and along South Sinai's reefs. A handful of sightings also come from Eilat in Israel, at the top of the Gulf of Aqaba, but Egypt is where you'll actually plan a dive around finding it.
Mapping where Arabian Chromis is logged…
Egypt is by far the most reliable place, with strong logs from Marsa Alam and the Deep South and from South Sinai. Smaller numbers turn up around Eilat in Israel at the northern end of the Red Sea.
There's no strong season in the sightings data, and water temperatures in its range stay within its comfort zone of roughly 26 to 29 C year-round, so it can be seen on any month's trip.
Look for a small, pale blue-grey damselfish around 5 cm long with a yellow tint at the base of its forked tail. It typically hovers in loose groups just above the reef rather than hiding in coral branches.
They're small, typically reaching only around 5 cm as adults, which is typical for chromis species on Red Sea reefs.
Site and sighting data is aggregated from diver logs, iNaturalist and GBIF. For taxonomy and conservation status:
Yellowtail Clownfish
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