Hawk Anthias

Scientific Name: Serranocirrhitus latus
Family: Anthias - Serranidae/Anthiinae
Maximum Size: 13cm
Identification: Deep pink to orangish with yellow spot on scales of upper body; large bright yellow spot on upper gill cover, yellow bands radiate from eye.
Favourite: Solitary or form small groups.
Hide-out: Lurk under ledges or near recesses in outer reef dropoffs in 15-70m.
Location: West Pacific - Indonesia to Fiji. S.W. Japan to Palau, Great Barrier Reef and New Caledonia.

Twospot Anthias

Scientific Name: Pseudanthias bimaculatus
Family: Anthias - Serranidae/Anthiinae
Maximum Size: 9cm
Identification: Male - Shades of red or orange with lavender to purple scribble markings; 2 orange to yellow bands bordered with lavender to purple extend from eye to pectoral fin, tips of tail lobes bluish.
Favourite: Form small plankton-feeding aggregations.
Hide-out: 1-3m above reefs and steep slopes in 20-60m.
Location: Indo-Asian Pacific - E. Africa to Java and Bali in Indonesia.

Threadfin Anthias

Scientific Name: Pseudanthias huchti
Family: Anthias - Serranidae/Anthiinae
Maximum Size: 12cm
Identification: Male - Lavender-gray to yellowish gray; bright red stripe from eye to pectoral fin base, red border on ventral fins; long 3rd dorsal spine.
Favourite: Solitary or form small plankton-feeding groups.
Hide-out: Around outcroppings of clear outer reef slopes in 4-20m.
Location: Asian Pacific - Indonesia, Philippines, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Is, Vanuatu and Great Barrier Reef.

Sunset Anthias

Scientific Name: Pseudanthias parvirostris
Family: Anthias - Serranidae/Anthiinae
Maximum Size: 9cm
Identification: Male - Yellow with purple dorsal fin and borders on tail; purple line markings on head. Reddish with white dorsal fin and tail borders in Indian Ocean.
Favourite: Form small aggregations.
Hide-out: Near patch reefs and coral outcroppings of deep outer slopes in 30-65m.
Location: Indo-Asian Pacific - Mauritius and Maldives to Philippines, Palau and Solomon Is, north to S. Japan.

Stocky Anthias

Scientific Name: Pseudanthias hypselosoma
Family: Anthias - Serranidae/Anthiinae
Maximum Size: 19cm
Identification: Male - Pinkish with extensive red area on upper head and foreback, red spot on dorsal fin; rounded tail, elongate ventral fins and large anal fin.
Favourite: Form schools.
Hide-out: Above coral outcroppings on sheltered coastal reefs and lagoons to 35m.
Location: East Indo-West Pacific - Maldives to Samoa. S.W. Japan to Palau and Great Barrier Reef.

Squarespot Anthias

Scientific Name: Pseudanthias pleurotaenia
Family: Anthias - Serranidae/Anthiinae
Maximum Size: 20cm
Identification: Male - Orangish red to magenta; large square violet spot on side; long 3rd dorsal spine.
Favourite: Form loose groups containing far more females than males.
Hide-out: Steep seaward slopes in 10-180, usually below 25m.
Location: West Pacific - Indonesia to Samoa. S.W. Japan and Micronesia to N.W. Australia and New Caledonia.

Silverstreak Anthias

Scientific Name: Pseudanthias cooperi
Family: Anthias - Serranidae/Anthiinae
Maximum Size: 14cm
Identification: Male - Red to orange to pale pink with red tail; silver-white streak below eye, red patch or bar on mid-side (may be intense or faint).
Favourite: Form small plankton-feeding aggregations.
Hide-out: Above substrate of current swept outer reefs and dropoffs in 15-60m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - E. Africa to Samoa and Line Is. in eastern Central Pacific. S.W. Japan to Micronesia and Australia.

Shen's Anthias

Scientific Name: Pseudanthias sheni
Family: Anthias - Serranidae/Anthiinae
Maximum Size: 20cm
Identification: Male - Orangish red to magenta or violet; 3rd dorsal spine of male elongate.
Favourite: Groups contain numerous females and several males. Form plankton-feeding aggregations.
Hide-out: 1-3m above outer reef slopes in 20-55m.
Location: Offshore reefs of N.W. Australia.

Scalefin Anthias

Scientific Name: Pseudanthias squamipinnis
Family: Anthias - Serranidae/Anthiinae
Maximum Size: 15cm
Identification: Male/Red Variation - Shades of red with yellow spots on body scales; purple blotch on outer pectoral fin; long 3rd dorsal spine.
Favourite: Form small to huge plankton-feeding aggregations.
Hide-out: Above shallow coastal, lagoon and outer reefs in 2-20m.
Location: Indo-West Pacific - Red Sea and E. Africa to Solomon Is. and Fiji. S.W. Japan to Palau and E. Australia.

Redstripe Anthias

Scientific Name: Pseudanthias fasciatus
Family: Anthias - Serranidae/Anthiinae
Maximum Size: 21cm
Identification: Female - Orange to peach; red stripe from gill cover to tail. Male - Distinguished by long tail lobes.
Favourite: Solitary or form small groups.
Hide-out: Most commonly in caves (may orient upside down to ceiling) of deep outer reefs and steep slopes 20-68m.
Location: Indo-Asian Pacific - Red Sea to Papua New Guinea. S.W. Japan to Palau and Great Barrier Reef.

Redfin Anthias

Scientific Name: Pseudanthias dispar
Family: Anthias - Serranidae/Anthiinae
Maximum Size: 9.5cm
Identification: Male - Orange to yellow body, lavender to pink head and bright red dorsal fin, translucent tail.
Favourite: Form plankton-feeding aggregations 1-3m above substrate; males erect dorsal fin during courtship.
Hide-out: Upper edge of steep slopes to 15m.
Location: East Indo-Pacific - Christmas I. to Line Is. in eastern Central Pacific. S.W. Japan and Micronesia to Great Barrier Reef.

Redbar Anthias

Scientific Name: Pseudanthias rubrizonatus
Family: Anthias - Serranidae/Anthiinae
Maximum Size: 10cm
Identification: Male/Pink Variation - Peach on head gradating to pale pink on rear body; pale stripe below eye and red bar on side.
Favourite: Form clusters around coral outcroppings, sometimes in turbid.
Hide-out: Coastal and seaward reefs in 10-58m.
Location: East Indo-Asian Pacific - Andaman Sea to Solomon Is. S.W. Japan to Palau, N.W. Australia and Great Barrier Reef.

Randall's Anthias

Scientific Name: Pseudanthias randalli
Family: Anthias - Serranidae/Anthiinae
Maximum Size: 7cm
Identification: Male - Red to lavender; fins red with variable violet markings; elongate 3rd dorsal spine. Female - Similar, but have yellowish dorsal and tail fins.
Favourite: Form small groups.
Hide-out: Lurk near caves and ledges on steep dropoffs in 15-120m.
Location: Asian Pacific - Indonesia and Philippines to Marshall Is. in E. Micronesia, north to S.W. Japan.

Purple Queen

Scientific Name: Pseudanthias pascalus
Family: Anthias - Serranidae/Anthiinae
Maximum Size: 17cm
Identification: Male - Purple with numerous small dark blue to orange spots; yellowish snout forming fleshy protuberance and pale chin.
Favourite: Form plankton-feeding aggregations.
Hide-out: High above outer reef slopes in 5-60m.
Location: Pacific - N. Sulawesi in Indonesia and Micronesia to French Polynesia. Taiwan and S.W. Japan to Great Barrier Reef.

Princess Anthias

Scientific Name: Pseudanthias smithvanizi
Family: Anthias - Serranidae/Anthiinae
Maximum Size: 9.5cm
Identification: Male - Lavender undercolor with orangish spots on body scales; red to reddish upper head and back, purple tail borders.
Favourite: Form small groups.
Hide-out: Steep outer reef slopes in 6-70m.
Location: East Indo-West Pacific - Cocos-Keeling Is. to Palau and Marshall Is. in Micronesia. S.W. Japan to Great Barrier Reef.

Painted Anthias

Scientific Name: Pseudanthias pictilis
Family: Anthias - Serranidae/Anthiinae
Maximum Size: 13.5cm
Identification: Male - Reddish lavender; violet bar edged with orange below middle of soft dorsal fin, pale oval-shaped mark on tail.
Favourite: Form mid-water aggregations.
Hide-out: Above seaward reef slopes in 20-40m.
Location: Southwest Pacific - S. Great Barrier Reef, New Caledonia and Lord Howe I.

Olive Anthias

Scientific Name: Pseudanthias olivaceus
Family: Anthias - Serranidae/Anthiinae
Maximum Size: 12cm
Identification: Male - Olive to dark gray; yellow spots on scales of lower body may align to form bars, yellow stripe behind eye.
Favourite: Form small plankton-feeding aggregations.
Hide-out: Around rock and coral formations of seaward reefs to 34m.
Location: Central Pacific - Cook, Austral and Phoenix Is. to French Polynesia and Line Is.

Luzon Anthias

Scientific Name: Pseudanthias luzonensis
Family: Anthias - Serranidae/Anthiinae
Maximum Size: 14.5cm
Identification: Male - Peach to pinkish with reddish snout; red to orange band across nape divides into three narrow wavy stripes to tail, wide red margin on tail. Female - Pale peach without distinctive markings.
Hide-out: Outer reef slopes in 20-60m.
Location: West Pacific - Indonesia and Philippines to Fiji. Taiwan to Palau and Great Barrier Reef.

Longfin Anthias

Scientific Name: Pseudanthias venttalis
Family: Anthias - Serranidae/Anthiinae
Maximum Size: 7cm
Identification: Male - Lavender with variable amounts of yellow on upper head, back and tail base, yellow fins, except red often in dorsal; random magenta stripes and spots on back; long ventral fins.
Favourite: Form small groups.
Hide-out: Outer reefs in 26-68m.
Location: Pacific - Great Barrier Reef to Pitcaim I. east of French Polynesia, north to Mariana Is. in Micronesia.

Golden Anthias

Scientific Name: Pseudanthias aurulentus
Family: Anthias - Serranidae/Anthiinae
Maximum Size: 6cm
Identification: Male - Orangish; pair of bright red stripes with white stripe between on upper body; long 3rd spine of dorsal fin.
Favourite: Form small groups.
Hide-out: Above rubble and boulder areas on outer reef slopes in 40-60m.
Location: Line Is. in eastern Central Pacific.