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No federal permit to keep

Green chromide

Etroplus suratensis

Also known as Pearlspot

Fishes › Cichlids (Cichliformes) › Cichlidae (Cichlids)

The green chromide (Etroplus suratensis) is a species of cichlid fish that is native to fresh and brackish water habitats in some parts in India such as Kerala, Goa, Chilika Lake in Odisha and Sri Lanka.

Aquarium hobby

Experience: Advanced

FamilyCichlids

Adult lengthup to 15.7 in

WaterBrackish

HabitatLives in brackish water

Care at a glance

Species-specific aquarium care

Tank: At least 42 in long and 15 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 7.9 in / 20 cm; the largest recorded was 15.7 in).
Water: Brackish.
Temperature: 73–79°F (range recorded for this species).
Layout: Uses both the bottom and open water: give open swimming space plus cover near the substrate.
Diet: Eats a varied diet: mix quality prepared foods with frozen and live foods. FishBase classes it as a herbivore.

Calculated from this species' own FishBase record: tank size from its typical adult length and swimming zone, water values from its recorded ranges. The group guide below fills in general care.

Care guide

Species care notes

Water: a fairly wide range, from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, 68–86 °F, pH 7–8.5, 10–20 dGH.
Behaviour: temperament peaceful; a shoaling fish best kept in a group of six or more; not a community fish.
Difficulty: Moderate (Seriously Fish rating).

Short excerpts from the species profile:

Setup: “This species can be maintained in fresh or brackish water so long as acidic conditions are avoided.”
Diet: “Observations of wild fish suggest it to be something of a generalist with a tendency to graze aufwuchs and filamentous algae from solid surfaces.”
Tankmates: “Relatively peaceful unless breeding and will not predate on any but the smallest fishes.”
Breeding: “This species is a biparental substrate spawner which forms temporary pair bonds when reproductively active.”

From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167

Group care guide

Asian and Malagasy cichlids

Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: Coastal India, Sri Lanka and Madagascar. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.

Housing & setup

Set salinity by species. Pseudetroplus maculatus can be maintained in freshwater or brackish water and should not be kept in acidic water.

Sources 117 119 164 260

Climate & lighting

Water

75–82°F

Sources 117 119 164 260

Diet

Omnivorous foods; chromides graze algae and biofilm.

Sources 117 119 164 260

Health watch

For Pseudetroplus maculatus, maintain suitable pH, hardness and clean water; freshwater maintenance is acceptable.

Sources 117 119 164 260

Understanding the animal

About this animal

The species was first described by Marcus Elieser Bloch in 1790. This species and other members of the genus Etroplus are relatively closely related to the Paretroplus cichlids from Madagascar.

Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Green chromide” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174

In the wild

From this species’ own FishBase record (habitat, bottom type, water and breeding data), not its family. Good care copies these conditions.¹

Where it lives	Lives in brackish water, in rivers and streams, lakes, rice paddies, estuaries. Uses both the bottom and open water. Primarily found in brackish water but known to tolerate fresh or marine waters for short periods.
Water it lives in	Brackish water, 73–79 °F (23–26 °C).
Climate	Tropical climate.
Behavior to plan for	Breeding: clutch tenders.

What this means for care

Keep water within its wild range, 73–79 °F.
It tolerates or needs brackish water; check salinity needs before setup.

FishBase species summary: Etroplus suratensis

Native climate (measured)

Warm-season highs	about 94°F (up to 104°F in the hottest sampled areas)
Cool-season lows	about 68°F (down to 57°F in the coldest sampled areas)
Average temperature	79–83°F across sampled records
Relative humidity	65–75% on average (driest month about 60%)
Rainfall	about 1324 mm a year, with strong wet and dry seasons

Measured at 76 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.

From the sources

Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.

Overview	The green chromide (Etroplus suratensis) is a species of cichlid fish that is native to fresh and brackish water habitats in some parts in India such as Kerala, Goa, Chilika Lake in Odisha and Sri Lanka. The species was first described by Marcus Elieser Bloch in 1790. This species and other members of the genus Etroplus are relatively closely related to the Paretroplus cichlids from Madagascar. Other common names include pearlspot cichlid, banded pearlspot, and striped chromide. — Wikipedia (community-edited)
Where it lives	Home ranges Population dynamics Growth parameters Max. ages / sizes Length-weight rel. Length-frequencies Mass conversion Recruitment Abundance Life cycle Reproduction Maturity Maturity/Gills rel. — FishBase
Behavior	The green chromide lives in brackish water habitat types, such as river deltas. It eats mainly aquatic plants, including filamentous algae and diatoms, but it consumes the occasional mollusk and other animal matter. This species engages in attentive parental care in which several adults care for each brood. — Wikipedia (community-edited)
Reproduction	After spawning, about 500 eggs are laid and attached to a submerged log, rock or sometimes roots and weeds, in still or slow flowing water. Parents guard and fan the eggs until hatching, usually about 4 days. The fry shoal around their parents during the first weeks of growth. — FishBase
Appearance and size	Maximum length 40.0 cm tl male/unsexed. — FishBase
Biology	Primarily found in brackish water but known to tolerate fresh or marine waters for short periods. Found in large rivers, reservoirs, lagoons and estuaries. Feed on filamentous algae, plant material and insects. — FishBase
History and naming	Etroplus suratensis is a popular food fish and it is considered a delicacy. Etroplus suratensis and E. maculatus form the main species and the former is dominant among pearl spots in reservoirs of India. They mainly feed on detritus and occupy the same niche as that of Oreochromis mossambicus. — Wikipedia (community-edited)

Data and studies

The numbers

Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.

Adult length

Average of sources10.9–14.8in

FishBase 1647.9–15.7

Seriously Fish species profiles 16713.8

Common length to maximum recorded length. Measured as total length. Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.

Water temperature

Average of sources70.5–82.5°F

FishBase 16473–79

Seriously Fish species profiles 16768–86

Range the species tolerates in nature; aim for the middle.

pH

Reported7–8.5

Seriously Fish species profiles 1677–8.5

Water hardness

Reported10–20dGH

Seriously Fish species profiles 16710–20

Veterinary & husbandry research

Gene expression profiling and physiological adaptations of pearl spot (Etroplus suratensis) under varying salinity conditions Marbade P et al., International journal of biological macromolecules 2023
Isolation and identification of Streptococcus agalactiae in cage-cultured green chromide Etroplus suratensis in Kerala, India Girijan SK et al., Diseases of aquatic organisms 2023
Genome size estimation of brackishwater fishes and penaeid shrimps by flow cytometry Swathi A et al., Molecular biology reports 2018
Acclimation of brackish water pearl spot (Etroplus suratensis) to various salinities: relative changes in abundance of branchial Na(+)/K (+)-ATPase and Na (+)/K (+)/2Cl (-) co-transporter in relation to osmoregulatory parameters Chandrasekar S et al., Fish physiology and biochemistry 2014

Peer-reviewed papers that mention this species alongside captivity, zoos, veterinary care or aquaculture. Some cover several species or mention it only in passing, so check the abstract. See all 15 on PubMed → 170

Federal legal snapshot

No federal permit to keep

No federal law singles out this species for private keepers. State and local rules still apply.

State law decides most of it. Each state sets its own permits and bans for exotic, native, venomous and dangerous animals, and cities and counties can be stricter. Find your state agency →

Not covered by the Animal Welfare Act

The Act only covers warm-blooded animals. Reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates have no federal care standards, even at licensed facilities; state and local rules may still apply.

Kept in captivity?

Every species on this site needs evidence that people actually keep it. For this one:

Has a Seriously Fish aquarium species profile
FishBase records it in the aquarium trade (Aquarium=commercial; AquariumFishII=based mainly on breeding; Aquaculture=commercial; aquarium reproduction record)
33 iNaturalist observations of captive animals

Sources for this sheet

FishBase (Froese & Pauly, eds.), version 24.07 Peer-reviewed researchThe global scientific database on fishes, maintained by a consortium of research institutions; every value is referenced.
Seriously Fish species profiles Experienced keeper or breederLong-running aquarium reference written and peer-checked by experienced fishkeepers and ichthyologists; each profile covers habitat, tank size, water, diet, behaviour and breeding.
Merck Veterinary Manual: Management of aquarium fish Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
Merck Veterinary Manual: Types and features of aquatic systems Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
Seriously Fish — Pseudetroplus maculatus Zoo, university or veterinaryAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine) Peer-reviewed researchIndex of peer-reviewed veterinary, zoo and husbandry research.
iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.