Purple Queen Anthias - Pseudanthias tuka - Large Female

Two anthias are commonly referred to as the "Purple Queen Anthias", Pseudanthias tuka and Pseudanthias pascalus. The species offered here is Pseudanthias tuka.

P. tuka is far more common and is the species typically available. Juvenile and female P. tuka have an orange stripe down the back and orange tail forks. Adult male P. tuka have white or yellow jaws and usually have a dark blotch on the dorsal fin. The dorsal fin may or may not have red between the spines and the tail on this species is always purple.

P. pascalus, also known as the "Amethyst Anthias" is by far more rare than P. tuka. Juveniles and females do not have orange markings but often have red tips on the tail. The lower jaw may be white and the tail may be white or yellow on fish from some regions. The body also often has fine darker spots and while this species does not have a darker blotch on the dorsal fin, some may have red or orange between the spines on the dorsal fin.



Anthias are closely related to the often large and aggressive predators known collectively as Groupers but have much more peaceful temperaments. Within the Anthinnae subfamily, the temperament can still range from very passive and docile to downright bold but most are still peaceful compared to many of the other fish reputed to be "aggressive" and "territorial". Most anthias are shades of pink, red, orange and yellow; colors that help them blend in in the deeper waters many are found in. Size can also range between species but most anthias are under around 7-8 inches in length and the majority available in the aquarium trade are around 3-5 inches in length.

Anthias are planktivores and feed primarily on zooplankton, tiny animals found in the water column. They benefit from several small feedings throughout the day rather than one large feeding. A healthy microinvertebrate population in the aquarium with a constant supply of food items like copepods and amphipods is beneficial but most anthias can be weaned onto frozen and prepared zooplanktons, Cyclop-eeze, mysis shrimp, baby brine shrimp and similar items.

These fish are best kept in small harems of one male to several juveniles or females. If the aquarium cannot handle a group of 5 or more fish, most anthias can be kept alone or occasionally in a male-female pair. Suitable tankmates for anthias would be peaceful fish that will not harass these docile fish or outcompete them for food. Stressed anthias have been known to jump from an aquarium. Anthias are Reef Safe and are not normally known to bother corals or invertebrates.

More information about the social structure and gender among anthias groups can be found on That Fish Blog from our staff marine biologists.