Green Chromide Identification Guide

Key identification features

• Deep, oval, laterally compressed cichlid body shape
• Olive-green to yellowish-brown base color
• Rows of small, pearly or silvery-white spots arranged in horizontal lines along the flanks
• A dark, often diffuse blotch on the upper body just behind the gill cover
• Long dorsal fin with a spiny front section blending into a softer rear portion
• Grows considerably larger than most related chromides, often exceeding 25 cm

Common look-alikes

• Orange chromide: a much smaller relative with a warm orange-red body and dark vertical bars rather than rows of pale spots
• Other deep-bodied cichlids: separated by the combination of olive-green tone, spot rows, and the shoulder blotch unique to this species
• Juvenile tilapia: can share a similar oval shape but lack the neat horizontal spot rows and show a different fin spine pattern

Where you'll see one

Green chromides are native to brackish lagoons, estuaries, and coastal backwaters of India and Sri Lanka, where they tolerate wide swings in salinity from nearly fresh to full seawater. They are usually found grazing over algae-covered rocks, submerged vegetation, and muddy substrates in sheltered, slow-moving water near mangroves and river mouths.