Anthias
Although Anthias resemble damsels in shape and size, the two should never be confused. Where damsels are the goats of the Saltwater world, Anthias (also called "Fairy Basslets in) are finicky and many starve to death in captivity. In the wild, they eat zooplankton, and will not accept anything but in the aquarium. They also need to be fed nearly constantly, three times a day at least. The best way to ensure the health and longevity of an Anthias is to attach a refugium where you can grow copepods to "drip" into the display tank. Unlike many other saltwater aquarium inhabitants, they can be kept in groups.
| Common name | Image | Taxonomy | Reef safe | Care Level | Description | Max size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bartlett's anthias | Pseudanthias bartlettorum | Yes | Moderate | Back and face light yellow, underside pink with a swallowtail-shaped caudal fin. | 70009000000000000009 cm (3.5 in) | |
| Bicolor anthias | Pseudanthias bicolor | Yes | Difficult | Similarly shaped and coloured to Bartlett's Anthias, but with a slightly more rounded back. | 700113000000000000013 cm (5.1 in) | |
| Cooper's anthias | Pseudanthias cooperi | Yes | Difficult | Orange back and finnage with white patch below the mouth running down toward the anal fin with pink sides. | 700114000000000000014 cm (5.5 in) | |
| Diadem anthias | Pseudanthias parvirostris | Yes | Difficult | Pink fish with yellow streak on top of head running along the lateral line. Caudal fin is red with yellow tips. | 70007000000000000007 cm (2.8 in) | |
| Orangehead anthias | Pseudanthias heemstrai | Yes | Difficult | Pink underside with orange back and mask, dark red splotch on caudal fin, along with iridescent blue anal and pelvic fins. | 700113000000000000013 cm (5.1 in) | |
| Redbar anthias | Pseudanthias rubrizonatus | Yes | Difficult | Tannish-pink with a single vertical red stripe and a dorsal fin with the skin between the rays pulled back like on a lionfish. | 700112000000000000012 cm (4.7 in) | |
| Lyretail anthias, Sea Goldie | Pseudanthias squamipinnis | Yes | Difficult | Females are orange with lyre-shaped caudal fin. Males are fuchsia with red markings on fins | 700115000000000000015 cm (5.9 in) | |
| Squareback anthias | Pseudanthias pleurotaenia | Yes | Difficult | Red back and pink underside with distinctive blue square shaped marking and blue fins. | 700120000000000000020 cm (7.9 in) | |
| Stocky anthias | Pseudanthias hypselosoma | Yes | Difficult | Orange back with cream colored underside. As its name suggests, slightly stockier than other Anthias. | 700119000000000000019 cm (7.5 in) | |
| Threadfin anthias | Pseudanthias huchtii | Yes | Difficult | Olive green with black caudal fin and red stripe running from the eye to the pectoral fin. | 700112000000000000012 cm (4.7 in) |
Read more about this topic: List Of Marine Aquarium Fish Species