All fish / Serranidae

Orangehead Anthias

Pseudanthias heemstrai

Also known as heemstra's anthias, orange head anthias, heemstra anthias, orangehead goldie, red sea anthias, ヘームストラズアンティアス, 海氏拟花鮨

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A slender reef basslet whose males show a bright orange head over a pinkish violet body, while females are mostly orange to yellow. It is kept for its lively colour and active swimming in open water around rockwork in reef tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

11 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

400 litres

Keep as

One male with several females in a large tank

Diet

Carnivore: frozen mysis, enriched brine shrimp, copepods and fine marine pellets fed several times daily

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 8 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Indian Ocean: Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and East African coast

Breeding

It is a protogynous hermaphrodite, so the dominant female turns male if no male is present, and pairs scatter pelagic eggs at dusk. Raising the larvae in home aquariums is very difficult and seldom achieved.

Good to know

Needs frequent small feeds and plenty of swimming space; males fight each other, so keep only one per tank unless it is very large. Similar to Pseudanthias squamipinnis, which is often confused with it in the trade.