Princess Anthias

Geographical Origin and Habitat: Restricted to the Indian Ocean: from the Maldives and Cocos-Keeling Islands to Sumatra and Java (Western Indonesia). Inhabits deep reef slopes, current-swept channels, and outer walls at depths of 20 to 70 meters.

Taxonomy and Morphology: Member of the family Serranidae. Features a slender, streamlined body with a deeply forked caudal fin featuring filamentous tips. Reaches a maximum length of 9.5 cm.

Social Behavior: Highly social and peaceful. In the wild, they form large, compact schools that swim against currents to feed on zooplankton, quickly retreating into soft corals when threatened.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Stunning magenta-pink coloration that fades into lemon-yellow on the lower half of the body. Males exhibit fins with intense red and yellow markings and small golden dots on the snout, which are absent in females.

Aquarium Setup: Demands an aquarium of at least 250 liters with plenty of open swimming space and stable rockwork. Moderate to strong water flow is required, along with a secure lid to prevent jumps.

Diet and Feeding: Obligate zooplanktivore. Demands frequent feedings (3-4 times daily) of small frozen foods like cyclops, calanus, mysis, and baby brine shrimp. Rarely accepts dry food initially.

Water Quality: Pristine, highly oxygenated water is critical. Temperature 22-26°C, pH 8.1-8.4, salinity SG 1.020-1.026. GH 15-25. An oversized protein skimmer is vital to handle the biological load from constant feeding.

Compatibility and Cohabitation: 100% reef safe. Should be kept in groups of at least 5 individuals. Coexists perfectly with other peaceful reef fish. Avoid aggressive food competitors.

Aquarium Breeding: Protogynous hermaphrodite. Spawning in home aquariums is undocumented due to challenges in feeding the microscopic pelagic larvae.

Risks and Diseases: Highly sensitive to rapid increases in nitrates and phosphates. Infrequent feeding leads to muscle wasting along the back and vulnerability to bacterial infections.