Chromis tingtingis a brand new species of damselfish described from Japan by Lemon TYK and Anthony Gill. Hailing from Japan’s famous Sagami Bay, the new Ting Ting damselfish has been confounded with similarly coloredChromislikeC. mirationiswith which it co-occurs in some areas.
Like most damselfish and especiallyChromisspecies, the newC. tingtinghas a unique juvenile and adult appearance which changes as the fish grows and ages. The little guys are mostly a light greenish silver body with blue ‘eyebrows’ and pale yellow fins that become clear at the margins.
AdultChromis tingtingretain this general appearance but mostly lose the blue color over the eye, becoming lighter in overall coloration and developing a noticeable black pectoral spot. Some other closely related species toCromis tingtingincludeC. okamuraiand the lovely Hawaiian endemicC. struhsakeri. [Researchgate]