Common Name: Stoutbody Puller

Distribution: Uncommon in the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Distributed throughout the Indo-West Pacific region where there are three isolated populations: southern Japan, Taiwan and Ryuku Islands, the Coral Sea including New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Fiji, eastern Australia and Mauritius and Reunion Islands in the Indian Ocean. In Australia recorded from the Great Barrier Reef south to northern New South Wales.

Ecological Notes: Frequents rocky and coral reefs where they may form large aggregations. Depths to at least 45 m.

Additional Notes: Various colour forms, often dark olive green or brown with distinct scale edges, white caudal fin base and rear of dorsal and anal fin sometimes white. Often seen high in the water column where they feed on zooplankton. Oviparous, with distinct pairing during breeding, males guarding and aerating eggs which are attached to the substrate. Grows to 14 cm.

References: R. Stuart-Smith, G. Edgar, A. Green, I. Shaw, Tropical Marine Fishes of Australia. Reed New Holland Publishers, 2015. p.247.

FishBase. Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2018. World Wide Web electronic publication. http://fishbase.ca/summary/Chromis-chrysura.html. Accessed 11/05/18.