Description

The Red Fairy Anthias is also referred to as Tricolor Anthias, Red Fairy Basslet, Silver Streak, or Kashiwae Anthias (Pseudanthias Kashiwae) found in the west Pacific Ocean, Red Sea, Maldives and along the Great Barrier Reef. A well developed lateral red bar and a red caudal fin differentiate the male from a female which only has red tips on the caudal fin and a pinkish-orange body color. Male Red Fairy Anthias or Tricolor Anthias are yellow towards the rear of the body, have an orange head and a broad red bar on their side. Females are light red with yellow marks on the scales and a white belly. Both sexes have a violet band from below the eye to the pectoral fin base. They will grow up to 4″ inches in length. Like all Anthias species they all share the trait of being hermaphroditic. If a dominant male perishes, the largest female of the group will often morph to take its place.

The Red Fairy Anthias or Tricolor Anthias is one of the Anthias groups that is moderately easy to keep. It’s best to have only one male per aquarium. It is best to keep solitary individuals, unless you have a very large aquarium over 50 gallons. It has been known to behave aggressively toward other zooplankton-feeding fishes. Provide clean, well oxygenated water, along with plenty of water movement and open swimming space, and a diet of zooplankton and small animals such as brine shrimp and copepods.