Lyretail Anthias Female (Pseudanthias squamipinnis)

The Lyretail Anthias (Pseudanthias squamipinnis) is the fish that makes a reef tank look like a reef. Females wear a warm golden orange with a violet stripe running from the eye back along the cheek, and they spend the whole day hovering in the current in loose, shimmering groups rather than hiding in the rockwork. This listing is for females, which are the right starting point for almost every tank: they are the more peaceful sex, they school readily, and a group of them is how a natural harem begins. Peaceful and completely reef safe, the only reason this species is rated intermediate is its appetite, which is covered in detail below. Browse the rest of our saltwater livestock and supplies to round out the tank.

Care Guide

• Feed two to three times a day. This is the whole ballgame. Anthias are planktivores built to graze continuously, and they burn through energy fast. A single daily feeding is the number one reason these fish waste away in home tanks. Small, frequent portions of meaty food are what keep them fat and colored up.
• What to feed: frozen PE Mysis is the gold standard, rotated with cyclops and enriched brine. Once settled, most will also take a small marine pellet such as PE 1mm Pellets, which makes the midday feeding far easier to keep up with.
• Keep them in groups. Three or more females is the minimum for natural behavior, and larger groups look better and settle faster. Add the whole group at once where possible, since fish introduced later can get pushed around by an established pecking order.
• One male per group, at most. Two males in the same tank will fight. If you want a full harem, pair a single male Lyretail Anthias with several of these females.
• Tank size: 70 gallons or larger for a small group, and more for a full harem. They are open-water swimmers, so length and unobstructed swimming room matter more than raw volume.
• Flow and rockwork: moderate to strong current with rockwork they can duck behind. They hover facing into the flow all day, which is exactly the behavior you are paying for, so aim a powerhead across the open water.
• Water parameters: 72 to 78°F, pH 8.1 to 8.4, salinity 1.020 to 1.025, dKH 8 to 12. Stability matters more than hitting any one number.
• Lid recommended: anthias are fast, nervous swimmers and will jump when startled, particularly in the first couple of weeks.

Specifications

Compatibility

Genuinely peaceful and one of the easiest fish to add to a stocked reef, provided its tank mates are not fast, greedy eaters that strip the tank before the anthias get their share. Excellent companions include the Banggai Cardinalfish, Blue Green Chromis, Wyoming White Clownfish, Firefish Goby, and grazers such as the Flame Fin Tomini Tang. Corals, clams, and ornamental inverts are all completely safe, including the Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp.

What to avoid: large aggressive predators, and any tank where feeding is a competition. Anthias are timid at the dish and will simply go without rather than fight for food, which is how a healthy fish quietly thins out over a couple of months. If you keep boisterous eaters, feed the anthias first or use a second feeding station at the other end of the tank.

Recommended Foods & Supplies

• Piscine Energetics PE Mysis, the staple frozen food for anthias
• SFBB Cyclops for small-mouthed grazing
• PE 1mm Saltwater Pellets to make midday feedings practical
• Vitalis Marine Grazing Pellets as a slow-release option
• Male Lyretail Anthias to complete a harem

FAQ

Can one of my females turn into a male?
Yes, and it is one of the most interesting things this species does. Lyretail Anthias are protogynous hermaphrodites: every fish starts life female, and if a group has no male, the dominant female will change sex over several weeks, deepening to magenta and growing the long lyre-shaped fin extensions. Buy three or four females, add no male, and you may well end up with a harem that built itself.

How many should I buy?
Three females is the practical minimum, five or more looks considerably better. Add them together rather than one at a time, since a group that establishes its order all at once settles far more peacefully.

Why is this rated intermediate if it is peaceful and reef safe?
Purely because of feeding. Anthias need two or three small meals a day, and a tank on a once-daily schedule will slowly starve them no matter how good the water is. If your routine can support multiple feedings, or you use a feeder, these are otherwise straightforward fish.

Will it bother my corals?
No. Anthias hover in open water and eat plankton. They are safe with every coral, clam, and ornamental shrimp we sell.

What is the difference between the male and the female?
Females are golden orange with a violet stripe near the eye and stay around 3 inches. Males are larger, magenta to purple-red, with an elongated third dorsal spine and a deeply forked tail. A tank can hold many females but only one male.