Order : Perciformes
Family : SERRANIDAE
Subfamily : ANTHIINAE 

Anthias are a group of tropical, reef-dwellers, which form the subfamily Anthiinae, part of the Serranidae family. The genera Plectranthias and Pseudanthias contain the most number of species, some of which are popular in the aquarium trade.

These small, brightly-coloured fishes may be pink, purple, yellow or orange; their fins, particularly the tail fins, are often a different colour to the rest of the body.

Shoals of anthias typically congregate close to shallow parts of coral reefs, sometimes in their hundreds. Smaller 'harem' shoals occur comprising a single male and a number of fiercely-guarded females. Many species exhibit sexual dimorphism, with males and females being of markedly different colour.

Anthias feed mainly on floating zooplankton, and often congregate where upwellings of water from deeper parts of the reef system bring zooplankton to shallower, sunlit waters. 

Figs 1 and 2 : Shoals of purple and yellow anthias, tentatively Pseudanthias tuka (Purple Anthias) and Pseudanthias pleurotaenia (Squarespot Anthias) at Walindi, Kimbe Bay, New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

Fig 3 : Warm, shallow, tropical seas at Kimbe Bay, New Britain, Papua New Guinea.


References :

Allen, G. 1988. Marine Fishes of Southeast Asia. Western Australian Museum.


Links :

Fishbase - Serranidae