Species: Azurina cyanea, Blue Chromis

Azurina cyanea (Poey, 1860)

Blue Chromis

Body compressed, an elongate oval; 1 pair of nostrils; edge of bone under eye smooth, no notch, hidden by scales; preopercle smooth or with occasional fine serrations; mouth small, protrusible, opens at front; teeth in 2 rows, outer conical, larger; a single continuous dorsal fin XII, 12; anal fin II, 12; pectoral 16-18; 2-3 short projecting spines at upper and lower base of tail fin; caudal fin deeply forked, with sharp tips; scales large and rough; body scaled, most of head scaled, basal parts of the median fins scaled; lateral line incomplete, ends under end of dorsal fin base; lateral line scales 16-18.

Head, body and median fins deep electric blue; black lines along upper back and upper and lower margins of tail fin.

Reaches 15 cm.

Reefs, especially over large coral heads.

Depth range: 3-87 m.

North Carolina to the southern Caribbean.