All fish / Serranidae

Sunrise Dottyback

Pseudanthias parvirostris

Also known as small-snout anthias, smallmouth anthias, parvirostris anthias, sunrise anthias

A small, slender anthias from deeper reef slopes. Females are mostly orange to yellow, and males pick up pink and purple tones and longer fins. Reef keepers buy it for its colour and its calm shoaling behaviour.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

7 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

300 litres

Keep as

One male with several females in a large tank

Diet

Carnivore: frequent small meals of mysis, enriched brine shrimp, copepods and fine frozen or pellet foods

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

4 to 6 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Pacific: Indonesia and the Philippines to Fiji and Samoa

Breeding

Like other anthias it is a protogynous hermaphrodite, so the dominant female can turn into a male. It spawns in open water and the eggs float, which makes raising the young in captivity very difficult and rarely achieved.

Good to know

It comes from deeper water, so it needs dim, calm conditions and several feeds a day. It is easily bullied, and the trade name 'Yes' is not a recognised common name. The name field above should read 'Small-snout Anthias'.