Lyretail Anthias
Pseudoanthias squamipinnis

Male	Female

Identification: They all display brilliant colors: red, pink, orange, yellow and some even lovely purples. Males display more color than the female and have a larger top dorsal fin.

Maximum Length: 3"- 6"

Origin: Red Sea, Eastern Africa east to the Fijian Islands, Japan , New South Wales, Australia.

Minimum tank size: 55 Gallon

Behavior: They are sequential, protogynous hermaphrodites, meaning they can change from sex to another - from male to female. They hatch as females, which are gently colored in pink and orange colors. The absence of aggressive fellow tank mates is re-emphasized. Some species are notorious jumpers. Cover all openings.

Feeding and diet: Plankivore. Feeds on zooplankton in the wild but will adapt to frozen and live preparations. Live foods may have to be offered at first. Food supplements are well worth the effort. Will accept dry-prepared foods; cannot be sustained on them or brine shrimp alone.

Reef Compatibility: Their size makes them ideally suited for reefs, especially since they feed mostly on plankton and do not display any aggressive behavior towards any other reef inhabitant.

Cautions: Keep males separate or with a group of females. Very easily spooked on new introduction. Keep lights low and leave an outside light on for a good day or two. Keep your hands out of the system as much as possible and entirely at the onset.

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