Male Lyretail anthias

[elegance coral]

There seems to be different types, or species. There are males that look like this, http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+20+1512&pcatid=1512 and there are males that look like this, http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+20+54&pcatid=54

I have, what looks like, the Maldives male in the first link. What I want, is the large purple looking male. LA lists "red" males from Fiji and Vanuatu. Where do I find males that look like this, http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...Pz7AQ&esq=23&page=2&ndsp=8&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:9 Or this, http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...Pz7AQ&esq=23&page=2&ndsp=8&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:9

 

[SDguy]

Yup, Indo males are purple. Maldive, African, and Red Sea are red/maroon.

 

[davocean]

^^LOL, SDguy is kinda responsible for my decision to get lyretails, still doing great, no regrets there.
My male sure looks like last pic, indo I think, but my females sure look like the very first pic.

 

[SDguy]

Females are sometimes a bit more trouble telling apart. Generally the maldive ones are solid, bright orange. The indo ones are darker orange, sometimes kind of muddy, with a distict darker orange top edge to the dorsal fin. I know there are several other minor differences (and technically I think some are actually different species, or were at least). Perhaps an expert like CarlC will chime in on all that

 

[davocean]

Well, I hope this isn't hijacking too much on your post elegance, but this is my male.

And females, and one female has a semi spike dorsal, like it would take over harem if it could.

And that lone straggler still doing well that we weren't certain on ID when young.

 

[elegance coral]

Not a hijack at all. You have beautiful fish. Thanks for sharing. How well do the two species get along?

 

[davocean]

They get along great, lil guy hangs right w/ them.
He came in a shipment that was supposed to be bartlett fairy's, but it was questioned as to if that is what he really is, was hoping to confirm ID while here.
I want to add more.
He actually eats EVERYTHING I put in tank, not just mysis/cyclopseze like the lyretails.

 

[evsalty]

Well, I hope this isn't hijacking too much on your post elegance, but this is my male.

And females, and one female has a semi spike dorsal, like it would take over harem if it could.

And that lone straggler still doing well that we weren't certain on ID when young.

Hey now how did you get pics of my fishies lol. I just got mine a couple weeks ago so they are still a bit shy so pics for me will have to wait but mine look just like these ones. My male is a bit more purple bodied though. I actually paid extra to get my LFS to seperate the male from it's females because the colors were so awesome. I had already gotten my females the week before.

 

[davocean]

Cool, but be careful in seperating them, the next in line can change fairly quick to male, or at least begin that transformation.
I think Sdguy had one change to male even w/ a male already in there.
They will lose their shyness when they realize you are the feeder.
In fact, I sometimes have probs photographing other fish due to them swarming every time I'm near the tank.

 

[SDguy]

I think Sdguy had one change to male even w/ a male already in there.

With other species, yes, but never with lyretails.

 

[davocean]

With other species, yes, but never with lyretails.

Really?
I could have sworn it was a lyretail when we did tank tour at your place, that was where I first heard the difference between maldives and indo, because it was a swap in dominant male, and new one was different color?
Maybe I'm thinking of another anthias.
Hard to recall for sure, you have so dang many of them!

 

[SDguy]

Really?
I could have sworn it was a lyretail when we did tank tour at your place, that was where I first heard the difference between maldives and indo, because it was a swap in dominant male, and new one was different color?
Maybe I'm thinking of another anthias.
Hard to recall for sure, you have so dang many of them!

No, I actually had the same giant Maldive male the whole time. I lost him after the tank move. I did keep a mixture of indo and maldive females, maybe that's what you are thinking of.

 

[davocean]

Gotcha, and hey sdguy, did you see the lil anthias I posted in 3rd pic?
Never got a valid ID when I first got him, sure you would know.

 

[SDguy]

Not sure. The tiny ones I saw ended up being bicolors. But I suppose dispar is possible too.