Chromis flavicaudais a beautiful and large species from Brazil. Although coloured in a very typical and boring blue body yellow tail configuration,C. Flavicauda具有不同的身体形状和更亮的更有光泽的颜色。他们改变蓝色强度的能力导致了其“闪烁chromis”的通用名称，尽管它不能以变色龙的方式改变其身体的颜色Hoplolatilus chlupatyi(Flashing Tilefish).
In 1880, the taxonomic status ofChromis flavicaudawas obscure for quite some time. The one and only type specimen from Brazil at that time was used to describe the species, and was previously namedHeliastes flavicauda。1920年，在百慕大收集了另一个标本，并被命名Chromis bermudaeby Nichols. It was noted then that the similarities in description betweenHeliastes flavicauda和Chromis bermudae保证与C. bermudaeagainst the holotype ofH. flavicauda。这种比较导致古纳特相信C. bermudaewas the same asHeliastes flavicauda, and was regarded as a junior synonym. Together with that specimen and the original holotype,Heliastes flavicaudawas re-described (now with two specimens) asChromis flavicauda, and the bermudan specimen was noted to be just a colour form.
Recently last year in December 2013,Chromis bermudaewas separated fromC. Flavicaudaby William Smith-Vaniz and Bruce Collette. The noted colour difference and endemism ofC. bermudaewarranted a re-look and indeed, was sufficiently different to separate it fromC. Flavicauda。Over the course of history, the same BermudanChromishad been identified and named to species level, relegated down to a junior synonym and now decades later, re-elected to species level once more. Talk about indecisive!
Well now we have a new (well almost new)Chromisspecies, and an endemic one at that joining the family. Who knows how many previously distinct species have been cast into the shadows of another as a “colour form” just waiting to be re-described. For more information, the research paper is available at the Natural History Museum Library at the Bermuda Aquarium Museum and Zoo.
