All fish / Serranidae (Anthiadinae)

Stocky Anthias

Pseudanthias hypselosoma

Also known as stocky anthias, pink anthias, truncate anthias, stocky basslet, hypselosoma anthias, pink basslet, truncated anthias, カシワハナダイ, 高体拟花鮨

A fairly chunky anthias, with pink to salmon females and males that show a red patch on the dorsal fin and a squarer tail outline. It copes with captivity better than most anthias, which makes it a good choice for keepers who want a lively, colourful planktivore in a reef tank.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

12 cm

Temperature

23 to 27 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

300 litres

Keep as

One male with several females, or a single fish

Diet

Carnivore: mysis, enriched brine shrimp, copepods, finely chopped seafood and quality marine pellets, fed several times a day

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

4 to 7 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-West Pacific: Maldives and Indian Ocean east to Indonesia, Philippines, Australia, Fiji and Samoa

Breeding

It is a protogynous hermaphrodite, so in a harem the dominant female can change into a male. The pairs scatter eggs into open water, and the tiny pelagic larvae are very rarely raised in home aquariums.

Good to know

Males get territorial with one another, so stick to one male per tank unless the system is very large. It needs frequent feeding to stay in condition, and timid fish may starve if they live with aggressive tankmates.