The Blue Reef Aquarium at Newquay has welcomed a shoal of its namesake fish species, the Blue Reef chromis (Chromis cyanea) into its tanks for the first time.
Matt Slater, curator at the popular Cornish attraction is delighted with their latest fishy charges saying, "I have been hoping to put a shoal of Blue reefs on display here at the aquarium for years, and it's great that we're now able to do so. At the moment we have nine individuals which are making themselves at home in one of our coral reef displays alongside a group of clownfish".
Matt and the rest of the Blue Reef's aquarists are hoping to study the fish's behaviour with the aim to one day attempt captive breeding of the strikingly coloured fish.
Blue Reef Chromis come from the tropical waters of the West Atlantic and grow to around 15cm/6" maximum. They can be found in large numbers above deep outer reefs, where they feed on zooplankton. They form breeding pairs, laying their sticky eggs on a clean area of substrate, with the male guarding and aerating the eggs until the planktonic larvae hatch.
In the confines of the aquarium paired fish can become aggressive, bullying other members of their species over territory if not given sufficient space.
Why not take out a subscription to Practical Fishkeeping magazine? See our latest subscription offer.