West Australian Puller, Chromis westaustralis Allen 1976


Other Names: West Australian Chromis, Westralian Puller

West Australian Pullers, Chromis westaustralis, at Parker Point, Rottnest Island, Western Australia. Source: Ben K. Jones. License: CC by Attribution

Summary:
A pale brown chromis, with a darker olive brown back, a dark streak on each caudal-fin lobe, a black spot at the pectoral-fin axil, a small white spot below the last dorsal-fin rays, and a narrow blue margin on the dorsal, anal, and caudal fins.
Black spot and a tiny white spot at pectoral fin base, wide dark upper and lower tail margins, and light spot under rear base of dorsal fin. Sometimes forms huge schools on subtropical WA reefs.

Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2020, Chromis westaustralis in Fishes of Australia, accessed 28 Mar 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/2324

West Australian Puller, Chromis westaustralis Allen 1976

More Info


Distribution

Endemic to western and northwestern Australia, from the Recherche Archipelago, south Western Australia, to south of Evans Shoal, Northern Territory. 
Inhabits coral and rocky reefs, sometimes forming huge aggregations.

Features

Dorsal fin XIII, l1-12; Anal fin II, 10-11; Pectoral fin 19-20; Pelvic fin 1, 5; Gill rakers on first·arch 29-33; Tubed lateral-line scales 17-20; Horizontal scale rows from terminal lateral-line scale to base of dorsal fin 1.5; Horizontal scale rows from lateral-line to origin of anal fin 9; Procurrent spines on upper and lower edge of caudal fin 2.
Greatest body depth 2.3-2.5 in SL; suborbital margin hidden; preopercle margin smooth or crenulate without distinctive serrae.

Etymology

The species is known only from Western Australia and is therefore named westaustralis (Allen 1976).

Species Citation

Chromis westaustralis Allen 1976, Records of the Western Australian Museum 4(2): 139, fig. 2. Type locality: Long Island, Wallabi Group, Houtman Abrolhos, about 28°30'S, 113°47'E, Western Australia, depth 2-8 m.

Author

Bray, D.J. 2020

Resources

Atlas of Living Australia

West Australian Puller, Chromis westaustralis Allen 1976

References


Allen, G.R. 1976. Two new species of damselfishes (Pomacentridae) from Western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum 4(2): 133-144 figs 1-2 See ref online

Allen, G.R. 1985. Fishes of Western Australia. Book 9. pp. 2207-2534 526 pls in Burgess, W.E. & Axelrod, H.R. (eds). Pacific Marine Fishes. Neptune, New Jersey : T.F.H. Publications. 

Allen, G.R. 1991. Damselfishes of the World. Melle, Germany : Mergus Verlag 271 pp. 

Allen, G. R. 2001. Family Pomacentridae. pp. in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, T.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 6 pp. 3381-4218. 

Allen, G.R. & Gomon, M.F. 2008. Family Pomacentridae. pp. 634-638 in Gomon, M.F., Bray, D.J. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds). Fishes of Australia's Southern Coast. Sydney : Reed New Holland 928 pp. 

Hoschke, A., Whisson, G. & Moore, G.I. 2019. Complete list of fishes from Rottnest Island. pp. 150-161 in Whisson, G. & Hoschke, A. (eds) The Rottnest Island fish book. 2nd ed. Perth : Aqua Research and Monitoring Services.

Hutchins, J.B. 1994. A survey of the nearshore reef fish fauna of Western Australia's west and south coasts — The Leeuwin Province. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 46: 1-66 figs 1-6 

Hutchins, J.B. 1997. Checklist of fishes of the Houtman Abrolhos Islands, Western Australia. pp. 239-253 in Wells, F. (ed.) The Marine Fauna and Flora of the Houtman Abrolhos Islands, Western Australia. Perth : Western Australian Museum. 

Hutchins, J.B. 2001. Biodiversity of shallow reef fish assemblages in Western Australia using a rapid censusing technique. Records of the Western Australian Museum 20: 247-270 

Hutchins, J.B. & Thompson, M. 1983. The Marine and Estuarine Fishes of South-western Australia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 103 pp. 345 figs. 

Larson, H.K., Williams, R.S. & Hammer, M.P. 2013. An annotated checklist of the fishes of the Northern Territory, Australia. Zootaxa 3696(1): 1-293

Quick Facts


CAAB Code:37372055

Depth:2-75 m

Habitat:Reef associated

Max Size:9 cm SL

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Species Maps

CAAB distribution map