blue chromis
Azurina cyanea
Small blue damselfish that swims in aggregations over outer reefs and eats plankton. It is not a target on the line, but it has commercial use and goes into the aquarium trade.
Also called: donzela-azul, azulejo, cromis azul, blue chromis
- maximum
- 15 cm
- depth
- 10–20 m
who is the blue chromis
The blue damselfish is a fish of the family Pomacentridae, with a bright blue body, reaching 15 cm. It lives over deep outer reefs, from 3 to 60 m, and usually stays between 10 and 20 m. It forms aggregations to feed on small plankton organisms, mainly copepods. During breeding, the pair bonds, and the male guards and aerates the eggs. It has commercial use and goes into the aquarium trade, but being small it is of no interest to rod fishing.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the blue chromis; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- Forms aggregations to feed on plankton.
- When frightened, it hides in the crevices of the corals.
identification
The body is bright blue, almost the same tone on the belly, which is only a little paler, and it has a black line. There are black edges on the spiny dorsal fin, on the upper and lower lobes of the tail and at the front of the anal fin. It lacks the black spot at the base of the pectoral fin that the sun damselfish has, and it is much bluer than that species, which is olive-brown on top. It moves in aggregations over deep outer reefs.
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
It lives in the western Atlantic, from Bermuda and southern Florida to the Caribbean, with records from the Bahamas and the Antilles. In Latin America it occurs in Mexico, Belize, Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela.
Habitat: Outer reefs, 3 to 60 m, usually 10 to 20 m.
rules for the blue chromis
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
It is harmless to handle. Being small and of no interest to rod fishing, release whatever comes up by chance.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.0123, b = 3.03; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Azurina cyanea (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Azurina cyaneaNames by country and language.
