Green chromide
| Green chromide | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Cichlidae |
| Genus: | Etroplus |
| Species: | E. suratensis |
| Binomial name | |
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Etroplus suratensis (Bloch, 1790) |
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The green chromide (Etroplus suratensis) is a species of cichlid fish from freshwater and brackish water in southern India and Sri Lanka. Other common names include pearlspot cichlid,banded pearlspot, and striped chromide. In Kerala in India it is known locally as the karimeen.
This fish is native to Sri Lanka and coastal regions of India. Many populations are likely introductions. It is also introduced in Singapore, where it occurs in estuaries.
The adult is oval in shape with a short snout. It is gray-green in colour with dark barring and a dark spot at the base of the pectoral fin. It commonly reaches 20 centimetres (7.9 in) in length, and the maximum length is twice that.
This species lives in brackish water habitat types, such as river deltas. It eats mainly aquatic plants, but it consumes the occasional mollusc, diatoms, and other animal matter. This species engages in attentive parental care in which several adults care for each brood.
In 2010 this species was named the official state fish of Kerala. The following year was declared "The Year of the Karimeen". Karimeen pollichadhu, a fried dish, is a delicacy served in restaurants. It is familiar to tourists, but because it is very expensive it is not easily accessible to the common man. Production of the species for food is expected to increase in the near future.
They are closely related to the Paretroplus fishes from Madagascar.
For scientific information see Etroplus suratensis in
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