Etroplus suratensis (Bloch, 1790)
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
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. In Kerala, it is known locally as karimeen. In Tamil Nadu, it is known locally as the pappan or pappa. In Goa, the fish is known as kalundar. In Odisha, the local name is kundal. In Sri Lanka this fish is known as Mal koraliya.
It has been introduced in various parts of the world outside its native range, including Singapore, where it occurs in estuaries. The Government of Kerala declared pearlspot as the official fish of Kerala.
Wikipedia contributors, Green chromide; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T22:30:43.630779+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Etroplus suratensis (Bloch, 1790)
- Name authority
- (Bloch, 1790)
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Cichliformes
- Family
- Cichlidae
- Genus
- Etroplus
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: no · Freshwater: no · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- gigaclassActinopterygii
- superclassActinopteri
- classTeleostei
- orderCichliformes
- familyCichlidae Bonaparte, 1835
- subfamilyEtroplinae Kullander, 1998
- genusEtroplus Cuvier, 1830
- speciesEtroplus suratensis (Bloch, 1790)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Etroplus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Etroplus canarensis Day, 1877 | CichlidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Etroplus meleagris Cuvier, 1830 Cuvier, 1830 | synonym |
| Chaetodon caris Hamilton, 1822 Hamilton, 1822 | synonym |
| Chaetodon suratensis Bloch, 1790 Bloch, 1790 | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=280728 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3BMC7. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.