Less problematic Anthias

I did a decent amount of research on these when I got mine several years ago. True Maldive males are red/maroon, with some gold accents on the scales in the middle of the body. African males are brighter red, with more gold scaling, and Red Sea males (not that you ever see any for sale) have even more, almost looking like they have a gold body and red fins. Lately I think "Maldive" and "African" labels are interchanged...

Wild maldive male:
WildmalelyretailMaldives.jpg


My maldive male that changed in captivity:
MaleLyretailanthias10-3-07.jpg


Color really depends on camera and lighting:
Malelyretail5-17-08.jpg


Wild Red Sea male:
WildmalelyretailRedSea.jpg


Indo are solid grey/purple with reddish edges to the fins.

Indo:
psquamipd2.jpg


lyretailAnthias2.jpg
 
lyretail anthiases are differentiated based on the ocean.

not the country they are found in.

they exist in two forms.

the pacific and the indian ocean.

red sea, maldives, sri lankan, are all the same.

any minor differences are based on the "male-ness", if you would, the lighting, camera and etc. by male-ness i mean how male they are. as you know anthias can change from females to male, and during this transition the colour changes gradually. so there's gonna be a myriad of colour differences from initial stage to terminale male stage.

the pacific ocean form are the ones found in fiji, indonesia etc.

they're more purplish and less beautiful than the indian ocean form.
 
LemonLemon said:
red sea, maldives, sri lankan, are all the same.
Click to expand...

I disagree. And I don't think it is due to the stage of transformation. When my male changed, the amount of yellow scaling was very constant.

If you can find pictures with definite locations associated with them, it's pretty clear how the IO/RS ones vary by location.

And you should see how the Indo ones can vary...from almost mud colored, to brilliant purple!
 
SDguy said:
I disagree. And I don't think it is due to the stage of transformation. When my male changed, the amount of yellow scaling was very constant.

If you can find pictures with definite locations associated with them, it's pretty clear how the IO/RS ones vary by location.

And you should see how the Indo ones can vary...from almost mud colored, to brilliant purple!
Click to expand...

i've not kept them before so i don't know.

but like most fishes with similarly colored cousins in other oceans, i thought the same applied. and most books/online references list them as IO/PO variants.

well i guess i'm not entirely correct :rollface:

perhaps maybe even within the indian ocean and pacific ocean forms, there are even more specific geographical variation?

but i think it's safe to say that all the indian ocean ones are clearly distinct from the pacific ocean ones and there are two distinct variations.

but within each variation there could be even more specific local colorations?

i don't know much about anthias but would love to learn more!
 
LemonLemon said:
but i think it's safe to say that all the indian ocean ones are clearly distinct from the pacific ocean ones and there are two distinct variations.

but within each variation there could be even more specific local colorations?
Click to expand...

Agreed, this is my thinking as well. One time I found tan/peach colored ignitus with bright red tails AND caudal peduncles. They looked like the tail and back part of the body was accidentally spray painted red...I'd love to know where those came from!
 
SDguy said:
Agreed, this is my thinking as well. One time I found tan/peach colored ignitus with bright red tails AND caudal peduncles. They looked like the tail and back part of the body was accidentally spray painted red...I'd love to know where those came from!
Click to expand...

yah i totally know what you mean!

i think for anthiases and most other fish it's not as simple as "A and B".

these can be totally different species as far as we know and has led many scientist, the "splitters", to separate them into different species.

there are many reef fishes that have "seemingly identical" coloration, but then get differentiated into new species eventually.

one of the best example is the two new species of anthias, P. bimarginatus and P. unimarginatus. at first glance they look IDENTICAL to Pseudanthias parvirostris. and guess what? all these 3 share the same range as P. parvirostris.

we see the same in pseudochromis paccagnellae and Pseudochromis dinar.

i won't be surprised if the squamipinnis anthias one day get split up into many new species, but all in the same complex.

anyway don't want to dilute this thread away from the main topic.

but it's so interesting, these fishes!
 
SDguy said:
And you should see how the Indo ones can vary...from almost mud colored, to brilliant purple!
Click to expand...

Great ID pics(bookmarked this time)
My male is definitely Indo, and I have even noticed these color changes in my single male since I've had him, seems to vary, I'm guessing diet and lighting.
My females/sub male(red sea?) remain very brilliant super bright orange.
My carberryi's can look kinda pale sometimes, then sometimes very pink, never quite as bright as when I first got them, but still very nice.
 
Should still be fine, I'd try 3-4.
Mine started out in a 67g tank, and though I knew I was about to upgrade when I got them, it was never an issue w/ these(1 male 4 females) and a few dispars in that 67g.
I'd expect a bioload increase more than adding the same size or amount of most other fish just due to the increase in level of feeding.
Mine are fed 3-4 times a day.
 
davocean said:
Should still be fine, I'd try 3-4.
Mine started out in a 67g tank, and though I knew I was about to upgrade when I got them, it was never an issue w/ these(1 male 4 females) and a few dispars in that 67g.
I'd expect a bioload increase more than adding the same size or amount of most other fish just due to the increase in level of feeding.
Mine are fed 3-4 times a day.
Click to expand...

About feeding. I work 2 jobs some days. I could do maybe 2 a day 3 is pushing it. I thought of an auto feeder with pellets as I have my dragonet and Picasso clown feeding on that not sure if my geo hawk is eating pellets or not.

Raffle grabber
 
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