Chromis chrysura
Small silvery damselfish common on reefs in Okinawa, Green Island and Reunion, seen year-round in 24.5-28.3C water.
A compact, deep-bodied damselfish about 10 cm long, silvery-grey with a faint darker wash across the back and a pale belly. The tail is forked and often shows a darker edge, and the body looks noticeably stout and rounded compared with slimmer chromis and damsel relatives. Look for it hovering just off the reef in loose groups rather than sitting tight against coral heads.
Divers typically find it hovering in loose aggregations a metre or two above the reef, picking at plankton drifting past in the current. It keeps a fairly open, mid-water position rather than hugging cover, and doesn't scatter much when divers approach slowly. Look for it over reef slopes and rubble patches where a bit of current sweeps by.
Like other chromis, it feeds mainly by picking zooplankton straight out of the water column, which is why you'll usually see it stationed in open water above the reef rather than grazing algae like many of its damselfish relatives.
No clear seasonal pattern shows up in the sightings, and its comfort range of 24.5 to 28.3C spans most of the year on these reefs, so it is a reasonable year-round find rather than a seasonal target.
Reef neighbours a diver could mistake it for. Use the identification notes above to tell them apart.
Most reliably found in Japan, especially around Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands, where it turns up at dozens of sites. It also has a solid presence on Green Island and Orchid Island in Taiwan, and along Reunion's coast around Saint-Paul and Saint-Leu, with an occasional record from Nouméa in New Caledonia.
Mapping where Stout Chromis is logged…
Okinawa and the wider Ryukyu Islands in Japan are the most consistent spot, with further sightings around Green Island and Orchid Island in Taiwan and along Reunion's coast near Saint-Paul and Saint-Leu.
There's no strong seasonal signal in the sightings, and it's comfortable across a wide temperature band of roughly 24.5 to 28.3C, so it's seen on these reefs throughout the year.
Look for a small, deep-bodied silvery-grey fish around 10 cm long with a forked tail, hovering in loose groups off the reef rather than perched on coral. Its stockier build sets it apart from slimmer chromis species nearby.
They're small, typically reaching around 10 cm in length, making them one of the more modest members of the damselfish family.
No, they pose no threat to divers and will simply hover nearby or drift off if you get too close.
Rather than grazing algae off the reef like many damselfish, it feeds mid-water, picking plankton out of passing currents while holding station just above the coral.
Site and sighting data is aggregated from diver logs, iNaturalist and GBIF. For taxonomy and conservation status:
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