Where is my male lyretail anthias from?

[stovenut]

I bought my male lyretail along with 3 females a year ago. The male lost his girls over the last few months. I'd like to order 5 females but liveaqauria has lyretails from maldives and fiji. Where is my male from?

 

[chasekwe]

Looks like fiji to me... or more specifically, not maldives.

 

[TripleT]

Do you know why you've been losing fish?

 

[stovenut]

I think I had a lack of hiding places at the time in my 240g. They were some of the first fish added to this system. I've added many more caves since then. Hoping it helps. Also, I've read when you have only a few females the male shows more aggressive toward them. This time I want to add 5 or 6 to spread the aggression out some.

Anyone else have an opinion about the type of lyretail?

 

[Apercula]

I agree that it doesn't look to be Maldives.

My Maldives male.

 

[CarlC]

Your male appears to be Pseudanthias cf. cheirospilos. Collected around the central pacific.

True lyretail males, Pseudanthias squamipinnis, have a yellow spot in the center of each scale and the caudal fin edge is yellow in mature males.

Carl

 

[stovenut]

Thanks for the ID. Makes perfect sense. So any advice on whether I can mix this Indonesian male with Fiji females from Liveaquaria?

 

[CarlC]

You should be ok mixing. Females of all forms of lyretail look pretty much indentical.
You and the fish would be the only ones who know they are mismatched. )

Carl

 

[Amoore311]

You can definitely mix them. I have 2 indo Males, 3 Indo Females, 1 Maldive Male and 4 Maldive Females in a 180. Everyone gets alone just fine.

 

[niter]

I recently ordered our anthias from liveaquaria and am extremely pleased. However, one of our lyretails has been driven from the group and lives as an outcast. She also has lost an eye to scuffles. Our male maldives anthias was established a few days before the addition of the females and I suspect that this female was transitioning to a male. The only reason I bring this up is because I wish I had planned an easy way to catch her to reduce her suffering. She is eating well and looks very robust, but it is very pitiful. I feel gravely responsible as perhaps I could have caught/removed her prior to her ocular damage and increased the chance of rehoming her--now, I am pulling for her to survive as I have a soft spot for motley creatures.

 

[MrTuskfish]

Thanks for the ID. Makes perfect sense. So any advice on whether I can mix this Indonesian male with Fiji females from Liveaquaria?

Yes you can, they don't know where they're from and seldom check passports.