About Chromis limbata (Valenciennes, 1833)
Chromis limbata (Valenciennes, 1833) has a greyish-brown body, with dark dorsal, dark anal fins, and a dark distal margin on the caudal fin; the proximal part of the caudal fin is whitish. When spawning, males develop a slight purple hue as courtship coloration. This species has a large eye and a strongly protractile mouth that extends to the vertical plane aligned with the eye. The jaws hold three rows of small, canine-shaped teeth. The dorsal fin has 14 spines and 11 to 12 soft rays, while the anal fin has 2 spines and 10 to 12 soft rays. The maximum recorded standard length of this fish is 12 centimeters (4.7 inches).
This species is found in the Portuguese Azores and Madeira archipelagos, as well as the Spanish Canary Islands. It has also been recorded off the coast of western Africa, ranging from Senegal to Pointe Noire, Congo. In the Cape Verde Islands, Chromis limbata appears to be replaced by the endemic Lubbock's chromis (Chromis lubbocki). Small numbers of Chromis limbata have been recorded off islands in Santa Catarina, southern Brazil; these individuals may be vagrants, or may have been introduced via the discharge of ships' ballast water.
Chromis limbata is a valued food fish in Madeira, where it is targeted by a small-scale artisanal fishery that operates mainly off the southern and eastern coasts of the island.
