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Species: Chromis scotti, Purple Reeffish, Purple Chromis

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blue-grey, blue spots - head & body
juv: purple/dark blue

Chromis scotti Emery, 1968

Purple Reeffish, Purple Chromis

Body compressed, 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 XIII, 11-12; anal fin II, 11-12; pectoral 17-19; 2-3 short projecting spines at upper and lower base of tail fin; caudal fin deeply forked, with rounded 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 15-18.

Adult variable: Uniform dark grey-brown to upper ½ of head and body grey-brown, white below; blue spotting on head and varying amounts on body upper front of body to entire body and tail base; fins dark to pale grey, median fins may have yellow cast. Juvenile: body and fins purplish blue to dark blue.

Reaches 10 cm.

Steep outer reef slopes and deep patch reefs.

Depth range: 2-172 m.

N Carolina to Brazil.


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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
  • Bottom + water column
  • Near Bottom
Habitat
  • Reef only
  • Rocks
  • Water column
  • Corals
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
FishBase Habitat
  • Reef Associated
Feeding Group
  • Data
  • Planktivore
Diet
  • Data
  • Zooplankton
Egg Type
  • Benthic
  • Data
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • All species
  • Greater Caribbean non-endemic
  • West Atlantic Endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Also in Brazil
  • Continent
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • Extends South of GC
  • GC non-endemic
  • Island (s)
  • All species
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
IUCN Red List
  • Least concern
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 10
Depth Range Min
  • 2
Depth Range Max
  • 172