Earlier this year, a beautiful new species of anthias was described in what can only be described as an incredibly obscure scientific journal, and, as tends to happen in these instances, this discovery is only now getting noticed. It was found in the deep waters (180 meters) near Vizag, situated [...]
A number of dazzling new species have recently been uncovered from the remote reefs of Easter Island. Last month, researchers from the California Academy of Sciences, along with several Chilean collaborators, conducted a series of surveys to document the region’s unique marinelife. This [...]
Yesterday we discussed a sensational new species of anthias that has been turning up regularly in Micronesia— a member of a widespread Indo, Pacific species group that is only seldom seen in the aquarium trade. Unfortunately, despite their obvious aesthetic appeal, this species group is [...]
The Immaculate Clade: smithvanizi, parvirostris, unimarginatus, bimarginatus & cf bimarginatus “Africa” This clade can be recognized by the thick lavender margins of the caudal fin and the usual presence of a thin red stripe along the base of the dorsal fin. Four of the five species [...]
The Red-banded Clade: lori, flavoguttatus, privitera, aurulentus & cf aurulentus “Coral Sea” The last clades to discuss are best recognized by lacking the stripe running posteroventrally from the eye, a character otherwise seen in most (all?) other Pseudanthias. Also unique are the purple [...]
The Sail-finned Clade: Pseudanthias evansi,tuka, pascalus, & cf pascalus “Fiji” & “Tahiti” It is clear that P. tuka, P. pascalus and P. evansi form a single group, as they share a number of unique characters: 1) The elongated “forehead” between the eyes and the placement of the [...]
The Arc-finned Clade This well-defined grouping has a number of features setting it apart from other Mirolabrichthys. Most readily observable to an aquarist is the smooth edge to the dorsal fin. This is due to the interspinal membranes of the fin extending to the tips of the dorsal fin spines, [...]
The genus Pseudanthias, known commonly as fairy basslets, is a diverse group of colorful schooling reef fishes popular amongst aquarists. It has traditionally been split into three subgenera—Franzia, Mirolabrichthys, and Pseudanthias sensu stricto—based on differences in caudal fin shape, fin [...]