Tags: fish | Lyretail Anthias | Pseudanthias squamipinnis | Scalefin Anthias | Sea Goldie

Pseudanthias squamipinnis, also known as Sea Goldie, Lyretail Anthias, or Scalefin Anthias, mainly inhabits lagoon patch reefs, channels, or outer reef slopes at water depth 0-55 meters. Usually found in small schools swimming around reefs or caves. Has a very clear social hierarchy in which juveniles, females, and few males are organized into levels from lowest to highest respectively. Males are very territorial. The fish is protogynous hermaphrodite: a male has a harem of several females, if the male perishes, the most dominant female will take the male’s place. The fish feeds on zooplanktons. It is distributed in the Indo-West Pacific: west to the Red Sea and South Africa, east to the Solomon Islands, north to southern Japan, and south to Australia. Found in all waters around Taiwan. The species is a small-sized Anthias with no edible value. Very colorful and a common sight in aquariums. (Photograph by: Chen Ching-yi, Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica; Location: Lanyu)

Biodiversity Research Center