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Blacksmith Chromis
Chromis punctipinnis
The blacksmith (Chromis punctipinnis), also known as the blacksmith chromis and blacksmith damselfish, is a species of fish in the damselfish family. It is native to the subtropical northeastern Pacific Ocean, where its range is from Monterey Bay, California, USA, to central Baja California, Mexico. This small fish is associated with rocky reefs and kelp forests.
From the article Chromis punctipinnis on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), quoted section by section
Description
The blacksmith can reach 25 centimetres (10 in) in length. It is blue-black in color with small black spots towards the tail. The scales are large. The tail is forked. The juvenile is two-toned with a blue-grey front and a brownish-orange rear.
Range & habitat
The fish lives at depths up to 46 metres (151 ft), usually close to the sea floor, over rocks, or on slopes. It also inhabits kelp forests.
Wikipedia: “Habitat”
What it does
The blacksmith rests in rocky crevices during the night. It is known to be territorial, and, although small, it acts aggressively toward other fish. Juveniles are pelagic and form schools. The blacksmith is symbiotic with the señorita. When it feels that it is starting to deteriorate in hygiene it will turn until it is perpendicular to the ground, allowing the señorita to clean it.
Wikipedia: “Behaviour”
Where it lives
Recorded sightings
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geo-referenced records in GBIF, from museums, herbaria and field observers.
Drag the globe to turn it. Dots are where records exist, not a range map; darker means more records.
In the stacks
Searching the stacks…
Every page naming Chromis punctipinnis in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →
This page is assembled live from iNaturalist, GBIF, Wikipedia, the Source Library and the Internet Archive. It is not yet part of the hand-edited codex. iNaturalist taxon 97759.