Shoaling/Schooling of different Anthias Species

[Johnseye]

Is there a list, or does anyone know of the different Anthias species which ones will shoal together? While were at it, will different Genus of Anthias schoal? For example, Nemanthias carberryi and any Pseudanthias such as Pseudanthias bartlettorum?

My understanding is that some will shoal together and some will not. What's your experience?

 

[ThRoewer]

From what I know Anthias don't school but are rather stationary and territorial. The illusion of schooling comes from the fact that they are typically found in large numbers on the reef slopes.
If you want a schooling fish that roams the tank in a group you should look into cardinals. Several of those like to stay in a group.
But don't get Banggai cardinals - in the confinement of a small to medium reef tank you can only keep a pair. Any extras will be killed off by the dominant pair.

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[gusmanda]

Chromis as well I guess

 

[ThRoewer]

Chromis as well I guess

Chromis are like Anthias, not schooling, but rather form territorial harems that just appear schooling as they stand over their corals. In a tank with insufficient shelter (and threads to keep them at bay) they often kill each other until only one individual or pair is left.

 

[Johnseye]

From what I know Anthias don't school but are rather stationary and territorial. The illusion of schooling comes from the fact that they are typically found in large numbers on the reef slopes.
If you want a schooling fish that roams the tank in a group you should look into cardinals. Several of those like to stay in a group.
But don't get Banggai cardinals - in the confinement of a small to medium reef tank you can only keep a pair. Any extras will be killed off by the dominant pair.

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While Anthias may not school I believe they do shoal. Which simply means they stick together. I'm wondering if the different species or genus will stick together or form separate groups.

 

[Winwood]

From what I know Anthias don't school but are rather stationary and territorial. The illusion of schooling comes from the fact that they are typically found in large numbers on the reef slopes.
If you want a schooling fish that roams the tank in a group you should look into cardinals. Several of those like to stay in a group.
But don't get Banggai cardinals - in the confinement of a small to medium reef tank you can only keep a pair. Any extras will be killed off by the dominant pair.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

My experience with cardinals is similar to anthias. My threadfins only banded together upon introduction. Once comfortable they set up their own territories. Then after a while a dominant pair formed and displaced the remaining individuals.

 

[Johnseye]

While Anthias may not school I believe they do shoal. Which simply means they stick together. I'm wondering if the different species or genus will stick together or form separate groups.

What I'm looking to do is add a few different types of Anthias, Carberryi likely being one of them, and I'm looking for ones that will stick together.

 

[Winwood]

What I'm looking to do is add a few different types of Anthias, Carberryi likely being one of them, and I'm looking for ones that will stick together.

I think they all kind of evenly space out under no predatory threat.

 

[ponokareefer]

I've tried various species together. My experience is that none schooled together, they just stuck to their own species. The more aggressive species eventually kill off the weaker ones.

 

[davocean]

I've had a few different groupings of anthia, right now I have lyretails and ignitus, this group of lyretails do spread out more but in the past I have had groups that seemed to stay closer together, my ignitus are always very close to each other though.

My last tank I had lyretails, dispars, carberri's together, the carb's and dispars stayed pretty tight most of the time, and once in a while they would all group together, lyretails obviously being dominant among them all, and my chromis would mix in w/ this group as well, made a really nice color contrast