Anthias

Anthias
Although they belong to the family of fish including groupers and voracious predators of the sea bass, Anthias are peaceful and feed on plankton and other small creatures.

Found in large schools near coral reefs, a group of more than a thousand of these little fish with their arch of brilliant colors, is very impressive! Vary in size, the largest species can reach a length of 6-8 inches, and some of the smaller species grow no more than 1-2 inches.

In general, males are larger and more colorful than females. They live in a complex social structure composed of a set of harems, which consists of one male and many females.

In the home aquarium, Anthias should be provided with lots of rocks and caves that resemble their natural habitat. They appreciate the strong water movement and will not do well without a good water quality.

Their diet should include a variety of high quality protein based foods such as mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, krill, etc. and they are better fed several times a day. A group of Anthias can be maintained successfully if you have a large enough tank (75 gallons and more), otherwise it is better to have a single model to avoid territorial disputes. And they should not be kept with aggressive species, but require other peaceful tank mates.

As with most saltwater fish, the breeding success of Anthias is extremely difficult. These extraordinary fish are hermaphrodites, born to females with the dominant fish changing sex to men. If the male in a harem to die, or more dominant female will turn into a male and take its place, thus ensuring the continuity of the case.