Lyretail Anthias

Description

Juv/Female Squamipinnis Lyretail Anthias, Pseudanthias squamipinnis, also go by the name Sea Goldie. Male and females look vastly different from one another. The only common trait they have is a red stripe running from their eyes to their gills. Juv/Female Squamipinnis Lyretail Anthias have yellow and orange bodies, with purple rimmed eyes. On the other hand, Male Squamipinnis Lyretail Anthias have deep red bodies, speckled with yellow and gold flakes. The Males also own a large red spine.

Squamipinnis Lyretail Anthias Juv/Female, Sea Goldie, Ecology.

These fish range from: South Africa, the Red Sea, Japan and to the southern coast of Australia, in the Indo- West Pacific Ocean. They live on and around: coral reefs, steep slopes, channels, drop offs or caves. The structures help the fish dodge predators. When scared, they will quickly vanish and fix themselves into nooks and crannies.

In nature, Juv/Female Squamipinnis Lyretail Anthias feed passively, as do most types of Anthias. Which means they stay in relatively still positions, while facing the current. When Pelagic zooplankton drifts towards them in the water, the fish snatch their food up. With this method, the hunters easily get hold of small critters and eggs, while using up the smallest amount of energy possible. Feeding is fairly constant, although other behaviours break up this activity.

These are fish that live in groups, with one male to around 5 or more females. Squamipinnis Lyretail Anthias are protogynous hermaphrodites. Which means when the top male dies, the largest female in the group will turn male. It will then become the new breeding male. As a result, all juvenile Squamipinnis Lyretail Anthias, are in fact immature females.

Pseudanthias squamipinnis In the Aquarium. 

It is important to have good currents and regular feeding in order to copy the natural environment. A wave maker can help with this. Owners should think about using a jump guard to stop any loses.

Juv/Female Squamipinnis Lyretail Anthias do best when fed a varied diet. They will accept frozen mysis shrimp and enriched frozen brine shrimp.

They will also eat live foods, such as copepods and amphipods, that can be cultivated in attached refugium. Over time, these fish may have small amounts of high quality flake food as well.

Our Anthias are adapted to aquarium life and most are eating a good quality frozen food, enriched with garlic guard  and vitamins, before being offered for sale. We enrich all our frozen food with these additives. They are great for keeping fish healthy by supporting their immune systems.

We find that the best way to keep these fish is in a small group. Keepers should aim to keep at least 1 Male Squamipinnis Lyretail Anthias with 3 or more females.