Purple Queen Anthias

Care at a glance

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.

Related species

• 

  Evansi Anthias

  Pseudanthias evansi

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

• 

  Dispar Anthias

  Pseudanthias dispar

  3.7 in (9.5 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)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)

• 

  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)