Green Chromide

Fascinating facts about the Green Chromide

• In 1790 Marcus Elieser Bloch gave science its first glimpse of the green chromite, a fish that now swims in both fresh and brackish waters of Kerala, Goa, Chilika Lake and Sri Lanka. Its oval body and short snout are characteristic. Today it still carries the name Etroplus suratensis that Bloch assigned over two centuries ago.
• A typical adult green chromide stretches to about 20 cm (8 in), but the biggest individuals can double that size, reaching roughly 40 cm. That length lets it glide through river deltas while nibbling on filamentous algae and diatoms.
• When a brood is born, several adults stand guard, showing attentive parental teamwork.
• The state of Kerala declared the green chromide its official fish in 2010, and a year later proclaimed 2011 “The Year of the Karimeen.” The fish’s local name, karimeen, now graces menus across the state, especially in the famed fried dish karimeen pollichathu. Its cultural spotlight has turned a modest catch into a pricey delicacy.
• Although green chromides share their niche with the Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus), they dominate the pearl-spot market in Indian reservoirs. Their diet of detritus and plant matter, combined with their low biomass compared to other cichlids, makes each catch valuable. Growing demand is pushing fisheries to boost production before the fish becomes too scarce.

At a glance

About the Green Chromide

The green chromide, Etroplus suratensis, glides through the brackish deltas of Kerala, Goa, Chilika Lake in Odisha, and Sri Lanka with an oval silhouette and a short snout, its grey-green body streaked by dark bars and punctuated by a distinctive dark spot at the pectoral fin base. Adults typically measure about 20 cm (8 in), though some individuals can double that size, their sleek form hinting at a life spent navigating both fresh and slightly salty waters. Their diet is largely herbivorous, filamentous algae and diatoms dominate the menu, but they opportunistically snap up mollusks and other small animal matter, showcasing a flexible foraging strategy that sustains them in the nutrient-rich river mouths they call home. Beyond their feeding habits, green chromides display a remarkable level of parental cooperation: several adults tend each brood, a communal care system that is rare among cichlids and underscores their social complexity. Known locally by many names, karimeen in Kerala, pappan in Tamil Nadu, kalundar in Goa, kundal in Odisha, and Mal koraliya in Sri Lanka, they have also been introduced to estuaries in Singapore. Their cultural cachet is high; the Government of Kerala declared the pearlspot the official state fish in 2010 and celebrated "The Year of the Karimeen" the following year, cementing the species' status as both an ecological and culinary icon.

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