Purple queen anthias
Pseudanthias tuka
Also known as Purple Anthias, Yellowstriped Fairy Basslet, Tuka Anthias, Purple Queen
SaltwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 75–81°F
- 24–27°C
- pH
- 8.1–8.4
- Adult size
- 4.7 in
- 12 cm
- Minimum tank
- 75 gal
- 285 L
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Social behavior
- Social
- Swim level
- Middle
- Difficulty
- Difficult
- Breeding
- Hard
- Rarity
- Common
- Reef safe
- Reef safe
- Family
- Serranidae
- Origin
- Western Pacific from Indonesia and the Philippines to the Great Barrier Reef, over outer reef slopes in large aggregations.
Overview
Keep purple queens in at least 285 litres with strong flow and open mid-water swimming room at 24 to 27 C. They are reef safe and ignore corals and clams, but feeding is the hard part, so offer copepods, mysis, enriched brine and micro-pellets three to five times a day. They must eat from the water column, so aim food into the current before it settles. Best for experienced keepers who can commit to frequent feedings.
In the wild
The purple queen anthias forms big feeding shoals over the outer slope, hanging in the current to snatch plankton. Males are deep magenta while females are purple with a yellow back stripe. They are beautiful but notoriously fussy about food in captivity. Constant water flow and frequent feeding keep them healthy.
Good to know
Pseudanthias tuka reaches about 12 cm and lives in large mixed-sex groups on Pacific reefs. As with other anthias, the dominant fish is a male that began life as a female. Its diet is almost entirely zooplankton picked from the water column.
Did you know
They will only eat food still drifting in the water, ignoring anything that has landed on the rock or sand.
Weekly picks
Tank mates
Purple queen anthias is a peaceful, social species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.
Tiger / strawberry conch
Conomurex luhuanus
Saltwater2.8 in (7 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
Sunburst anthias
Serranocirrhitus latus
Saltwater5.1 in (13 cm) · 70 gal (265 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)
Skunk cleaner shrimp
Lysmata amboinensis
Saltwater2.4 in (6 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)
Foxface rabbitfish
Siganus vulpinus
Saltwater9.4 in (24 cm) · 75 gal (285 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)
Ring cowrie
Monetaria annulus
Saltwater1.2 in (3 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
Blackline fang blenny
Meiacanthus nigrolineatus
Saltwater3.5 in (9 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
Common questions
What size tank does a Purple queen anthias need?
A Purple queen anthias needs at least 75 gal (285 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
What temperature and pH does a Purple queen anthias need?
A Purple queen anthias is comfortable at 75–81°F (24–27°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.
How big does a Purple queen anthias get?
An adult Purple queen anthias reaches about 4.7 in (12 cm).
Related species
4.7 in (12 cm)75 gal (285 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)Evansi anthias
Pseudanthias evansi
4.7 in (12 cm) · 75 gal (285 L)
3.7 in (9.5 cm)70 gal (265 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)Dispar anthias
Pseudanthias dispar
3.7 in (9.5 cm) · 70 gal (265 L)
3.5 in (9 cm)70 gal (265 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)Bartlett's anthias
Pseudanthias bartlettorum
3.5 in (9 cm) · 70 gal (265 L)
3.1 in (8 cm)75 gal (285 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)Randall's anthias
Pseudanthias randalli
3.1 in (8 cm) · 75 gal (285 L)
4.7 in (12 cm)90 gal (340 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)Huchtii anthias
Pseudanthias huchtii
4.7 in (12 cm) · 90 gal (340 L)
5.1 in (13 cm)125 gal (475 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)Bicolor anthias
Pseudanthias bicolor
5.1 in (13 cm) · 125 gal (475 L)