All fish / Serranidae

Bartlett's anthias

Pseudanthias bartlettorum

Also known as bartlett's anthias, bartletts anthias, bartlett anthias, bartlett's fairy basslet, bartlett's basslet, bartlett's anthias pair, バートレッツアンティアス, 巴氏拟花鮨, 巴氏金花鲈

A small, slim anthias with a lilac to magenta body and a bright yellow back and tail, with males showing deeper colour and a taller dorsal fin. It is one of the hardier anthias and is popular in reef tanks because it shoals openly in mid water and leaves corals and invertebrates alone.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

8 cm

Temperature

24 to 27 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

300 litres

Keep as

One male with several females, or a group of 5 or more in a large tank

Diet

Carnivore: frequent small meals of mysis, enriched brine shrimp, copepods, finely chopped seafood and quality small pellets

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

4 to 7 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Central and western Pacific: Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Palau, Nauru and nearby islands

Breeding

A protogynous hermaphrodite that lives in harems, with the dominant female changing into a male if no male is present. It spawns as a pelagic scatterer and the tiny larvae have rarely been reared in captivity.

Good to know

Needs feeding at least two or three times a day and a long, open swimming space, so it suits established reef tanks with gentle tankmates. Keep only one male per group unless the tank is very large, as males will fight.