Flame Anthias

Geographical Origin and Habitat: Tropical Indian Ocean: distributed primarily from the Maldives and Similan Islands to northern Sumatra, Indonesia. Inhabits upper margins of outer coral reefs exposed to strong offshore currents at depths of 10 to 30 meters.

Taxonomy and Morphology: Member of the family Serranidae, subfamily Anthiadinae. Slender fusiform body, lyre-shaped tail, and large blue eyes. Reaches 9 cm.

Social Behavior: Peaceful and active swimmer, forms schools swimming against the current above hard coral heads. Protogynous hermaphrodite; the male leads the harem.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Male has an orange-yellow body with intense fiery red dorsal and caudal fins. Female is uniform yellow-orange with a yellow caudal fin. Marked chromatic dimorphism.

Aquarium Setup: Requires a tank of at least 250 liters with a secure cover. Strong water movement to simulate the original biotope. Create shaded areas with rockwork. High risk of jumping.

Diet and Feeding: Planctivorous carnivore. Offer enriched mysis, copepods, and brine shrimp at least 3 times daily. Difficult to transition to dry foods.

Water Quality: Pristine water quality is required. Temperature 22-27°C, pH 8.1-8.4, salinity SG 1.020-1.026. GH 15-25. Quality protein skimmer is mandatory.

Compatibility and Cohabitation: 100% reef safe. Excellent for hard coral systems. Keep in small groups consisting of one male and several females.

Aquarium Breeding: Very complex and undocumented in captivity due to the pelagic larval phase.

Risks and Diseases: Sensitive to external parasites (marine ich) if stressed. Risk of starvation due to feeding competition.