All fish / Serranidae

Squareback Anthias

Pseudanthias pleurotaenia

Also known as square spot anthias, square-spot fairy basslet, mirror anthias, squareback anthias, square block anthias, pleurotaenia anthias, スミレナガハナダイ, 紫印花鮨, 方块花鮨

Males are a vivid magenta to orange with a striking pink or purple square patch on each flank, while females are mostly yellow-orange with lavender lines. It is kept for its bright colour and the lively display of a harem swimming in open water in a reef tank.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

15 cm

Temperature

23 to 27 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

500 litres

Keep as

One male with several females in a large tank

Diet

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

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 8 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Pacific: Indonesia and the Philippines to Samoa, north to the Ryukyu Islands and south to Australia

Breeding

A protogynous hermaphrodite that lives in harems, where the dominant female turns male if the male is lost. It scatters pelagic eggs and has very tiny larvae, so captive rearing is rarely achieved.

Good to know

It naturally lives on deeper reef slopes and prefers subdued lighting, plenty of swimming room and frequent feeding, and it often struggles if underfed. Males fight one another, so keep only one male per tank unless the tank is very large.