Description

🐠 Female Lyretail Anthias (Pseudanthias squamipinnis)

A Graceful Splash of Colour for Reef Aquariums

The Female Lyretail Anthias is a vibrant, active schooling fish beloved by marine aquarists for its beauty, graceful movement, and peaceful temperament. With its soft peach to golden-orange body and delicate, streamlined fins, the female anthias adds both motion and color to any reef setup. These fish are naturally found in large shoals across the coral-rich waters of the Indo-Pacific, particularly around reef slopes and drop-offs where they thrive in high-energy environments.

Unlike their more flamboyant male counterparts, female Lyretails exhibit elegant simplicity and play a vital role in social hierarchy within anthias groups. Interestingly, the most dominant female in a harem can morph into a male if no male is present—one of the most fascinating examples of sequential hermaphroditism in marine species.

✨ Key Features

• 🌸 Elegant Colouration: Peach to orange tones with translucent fins and delicate features
• 🐟 Schooling Beauty: Adds dynamic movement and natural behavior when kept in groups
• 🔁 Gender Morphing: Capable of transforming into a male under the right conditions
• 🧘 Peaceful Nature: Ideal for community reef aquariums
• 🧪 Reef Safe: Safe with corals and invertebrates

📏 Species Overview

• Scientific Name: Pseudanthias squamipinnis
• Common Name: Female Lyretail Anthias
• Origin: Red Sea, Indian Ocean, Western Pacific
• Maximum Size: Approx. 12 cm (5 inches)
• Temperament: Peaceful; thrives in groups
• Diet: Carnivorous – small zooplankton, frozen mysis, brine shrimp, enriched pellets
• Reef Safe: ✅ Yes
• Lifespan: 5–7 years with excellent care

🌊 Tank Requirements

• Minimum Tank Size: 250–300L for a small group
• Temperature: 24–27°C
• pH: 8.1–8.4
• Salinity: 1.023–1.025 SG
• Water Flow: Moderate to strong (simulating reef slope conditions)
• Lighting: Moderate to high (to mimic natural reef lighting)
• Aquascaping: Plenty of open swimming space with overhangs or ledges for shelter

👩‍👩‍👧‍👧 Social Structure & Compatibility

Lyretail Anthias are haremic fish, meaning they live best in social groups consisting of one male and several females. If kept singly, the fish can become stressed and may not thrive. In a peaceful reef tank, they do well with other non-aggressive species such as wrasses, clownfish, tangs, gobies, and blennies.

Avoid mixing with large aggressive predators or fast-feeding bullies, as anthias prefer frequent, gentle feedings and can be outcompeted.

🍽️ Feeding Notes

These fish have high metabolisms and benefit from small, frequent feedings throughout the day. Offer a varied carnivorous diet such as:

• Frozen mysis shrimp
• Brine shrimp (vitamin-enriched)
• Micro-plankton or copepods
• High-quality marine pellets designed for planktivores

Automatic feeders or hand feeding 2–3 times daily can help keep them healthy and vibrant.

📝 Additional Care Tips

• Anthias do best in stable, mature aquariums with pristine water quality.
• Use a tight-fitting lid – they are known jumpers!
• Maintaining a calm and consistent social structure (with a dominant male and multiple females) prevents stress.
• Supplement with vitamins or garlic-enriched foods during acclimation to boost immunity.

🌟 With their delicate beauty and fascinating social behavior, Female Lyretail Anthias bring a touch of natural reef harmony into your home aquarium. Whether as part of a shoal or introduced alongside a male, they shine as peaceful, active, and captivating residents of any well-maintained reef tank.