Pseudanthias engelhardi – Orangebar Anthias
Pseudanthias engelhardi was described in 1982 by Allen & Starck. The common name for this species is Orangebar Anthias.
The genus name Pseudanthias can be broken down into two Ancient Greek words. Pseudes means spurious and Anthias is an ancient Greek collective name for all fish in the subgenus Anthiinae which goes back to the classical Greek Anthias for sea fish.
Synonyms: Anthias engelhardi, Pseudanthias carlsoni.
Description
With a maximum length of about 10 centimeters, Orangebar Anthias does not grow very large. It is , however, a species that lives in large schools. In the aquarium you should keep them in a school. The color and markings of this species are somewhat variable but mostly between orange and pink. This variation is caused by the vast distances where this species occurs. This naturally creates some geographical variation. Males have a colored spot in the dorsal fin that sometimes continues as stripes down the flank.
The markings of the spot and stripes downward resemble those of Pseudanthias charleneae and Pseudanthias lunulatus. Possibly in retrospect these species may be merged.
Biotope
Pseudanthias engelhardi lives in a vast expanse of Oceania. They are found from the Philippines to the Great Barrier Reef near Australia and further east toward Fiji in the Pacific Ocean.
Near reefs and corals the fish gather in large schools. These can number from several hundred to even thousands . These schools are themselves divided into groups consisting of one male with several females, called harems.
Diet
The diet of Pseudanthias engelhardi consists of Zoo plankton and small invertebrates such as krill, mysis and artemia. It is difficult to get and keep them fed. It is better for these fish to feed them a little several times a day rather than a lot once a day. They unfortunately cannot get used to one feeding a day. Perhaps a feeder is recommended to allow them to feed throughout the day.
The Aquarium
Although Pseudanthias engelhardi does not grow very large, it is a shoal fish best kept in a group of at least eight. They need a reasonably large aquarium from about 800 liters . A group kept in an aquarium that is too small will naturally become smaller. The group has a hierarchy in which the smallest and weakest will eventually die from stress and/or lack of food. By keeping them in an aquarium of sufficient size and in a group of sufficient size, possible aggression is distributed among several fish.
In the aquarium, always keep one male with several females in a harem. When purchasing only females can also take. Like so many other Anthias, the Engelhardi Flagfish is hermaphrodite. They are all born as females. If there is no male left, the largest and strongest female will turn into a male. Two males in the aquarium does not end well, among themselves males are often aggressive and eventually only one remains alive.
Set up the aquarium as a reef where the fish can hide among the live rock. The water should have a fair amount of current to keep the fish healthy and strong.
Author
John de Lange
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