Common Name: Blue-green Puller

Distribution: Common in the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific region from the east coast of Africa to the Line Islands and Tuamotu Archipelago; north to Ryukyu Islands, south to the Great Barrier Reef and New Caledonia. In Australia recorded from south-central Western Australia, the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, south to northern New South Wales and including Lord Howe Island.

Ecological Notes: Adults aggregate above thickets of branching Acropora corals in sheltered areas, including subtidal reef flats and lagoons. Juveniles closely allied to individual coral heads. Phytoplankton feeders. Depth to 20 m.

Additional Notes: Pale blue to green body. Differs from C. atripectoralis (Blackaxil Puller) by lacking black patch at pectoral fin base. Breed on sand and rubble with males preparing a nest for spawning that is shared with several females. Eggs are demersal and adhere to the substrate. Males guard the nest ventilating eggs with their caudal fins. Grows to 10 cm.

References: FishBase. Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2018. World Wide Web electronic publication. https://www.fishbase.de/summary/Chromis-viridis.html Accessed 09/11/18.

R. Stuart-Smith, G. Edgar, A. Green, I. Shaw, Tropical Marine Fishes of Australia. Reed New Holland Publishers, 2015. p.252.