Possible Anthias (?) ID......I am stumped.

[wombat2]

So I saw a group of fish today that I couldn't ID. They were located in the lobby tank of the Mirage in Las Vegas.

As far as I can tell they are a Pseudanthias sp. About 6-7" long, and a deep purple color like a P. tuka or P. pascalus. However, these guys have a vivid vellow anal and rear (soft) dorsal fin, which I have not seen in either of these species. There also appeared to be a small black area near the head and eye. The tail is lunate and purple. They also did not have the pointed snout that P. pascalus and tuka do. They spent all their time near the top of the tank in the open, and I saw a few pick food out of the water. Clearly zooplanktivores. Any ideas? Come to think of it I am not sure they are even a Pseudanthias sp., but it was the closest looking genus I could come up with. I have looked through every fish atlas I own with no luck.

Sorry but it was impossible to get a photo. They don't let you get within 10 feet of the tank.

 

[TWallace]

The purple with yellow sounds like Carberryi or Evansi Anthias. Can't tell without pics though.

 

[wombat2]

Thanks for your reply!

Evan's and Carberry anthias are more like pink. This fish was a deep purple. Like the purple of a Crown Royal bag.

The yellow was restricted solely to the fins as well. Only the back part of the dorsal fin and the back part of the anal fin were yellow. Evan's and Carberry both have a lot of yellow on the body.

 

[fishermania]

Here might be a few possibilities.

Trunicate
http://www.petsolutions.com/Truncate+Anthias+Male-I-106650L-I-C-16212-C-.aspx


Here is a good listing of different athias species

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/anthiina.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/anthiines_ii.htm

 

[wombat2]

I'm pretty convinced this was NOT a Pseudanthias sp. now.

 

[Serioussnaps]

Purple Queen anthias is the only one that comes to mind without seeing a pick...it could be some kind of dottyback/pseudochromids

 

[SDguy]

Was it maybe a creole fish (wrasse) - Clepticus parrae?

 

[wombat2]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7698407#post7698407 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SDguy
Was it maybe a creole fish (wrasse) - Clepticus parrae?

You're the man!

I'm pretty certain it was this fish. Have never seen it offered for sale anywhere. Now I'm kicking myself for not having realized it was a wrasse.....the way it swam was very un-Anthias like.

 

[wombat2]

Hmmm, from WWM:

"Genus Clepticus: Here is another species we’ll mention, the Creole Wrasse, Clepticus parrae (Bloch & Schneider 1801) (3), simply because it (mis)enters the trade from time to time. This reef roamer is not often identified as a wrasse at all, as it cruises above the reefs of the tropical western Atlantic. The Creole Wrasse almost always dies in route from being shipped from the wild. To one foot in length. This one in Cancun, Mexico."

 

[SDguy]

Neat. Have never seen one in person.

 

[Amphiprion]

Neither have I . They do seem to be very cool fish, but they get too large for my tastes (or my tank).

 

[wombat2]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7703147#post7703147 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SDguy
Neat. Have never seen one in person.

That picture doesn't really do them justice. The purple is very vivid, like the purple on a royal gramma or orchid dottyback or (take your pick).

Thanks again for the ID.

 

[wombat2]

Apparently the ones I saw were all females, or non-spawning males?

Getting cleaned by a Bodianus rufus.