Dispar Anthias

Care at a glance

Overview

A peaceful, active planktivore that spends its day picking food out of the water column, so it needs several small feedings a day rather than one or two large ones; underfeeding is the most common reason this species declines in captivity. It does well with other peaceful reef fish, clownfish, gobies, and dartfish, and is fully reef safe around corals, clams, and ornamental shrimp. Keep it as a single fish or, better, a harem of one male with several females, and avoid boisterous or fast-eating tankmates that can out-compete it at feeding time.

In the wild

Lives along the upper edges of steep outer reef slopes and drop-offs, usually at 1–15 m, where strong currents sweep in a steady supply of zooplankton. In the wild it gathers in large aggregations over branching coral, using the coral heads as cover at night and when startled. In the aquarium it needs a lot of open swimming space above a rockwork base riddled with caves and crevices, plus moderate to strong water flow and good surface agitation, since anthias come from well-oxygenated water and can struggle in stagnant tanks.

Good to know

Like other anthias, this species is a protogynous hermaphrodite: every fish starts out female, and the largest, most dominant female in a harem will change sex to male within a few weeks if the resident male is lost. A harem is normally one male defending a loose territory over several to a dozen or more females. Males are larger and more colorful than females, with a long, flat, deep red dorsal fin and a violet-pink body, while females are yellow-orange fading to a pale magenta belly.

Did you know

Males flush a deeper red across the dorsal fin during courtship, flaring it while looping above the harem in a display distinct enough that a displaying male can look like a different fish from the one resting in the rocks minutes earlier.

Related species

• 

  Bartlett's Anthias

  Pseudanthias bartlettorum

  3.5 in (9 cm)70 gal (265 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)
• Randall's Anthias

  Pseudanthias randalli

  3.1 in (8 cm)75 gal (285 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Evansi Anthias

  Pseudanthias evansi

  4.7 in (12 cm)75 gal (285 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Purple Queen Anthias

  Pseudanthias tuka

  4.7 in (12 cm)75 gal (285 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Huchtii Anthias

  Pseudanthias huchtii

  4.7 in (12 cm)90 gal (340 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Bicolor Anthias

  Pseudanthias bicolor

  5.1 in (13 cm)125 gal (475 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)