Pseudanthias heemstrai

Lore & Background

Pseudanthias heemstrai was named in honor of ichthyologist Phil Heemstra of the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, recognizing his research on anthiine fishes. The species has the typical elongate body shape of anthias, the body being just under three times as long as it is deep. It has a large mouth with the maxilla extending past the level of the center of the eye, and the lower jaw projects slightly beyond the upper jaw.

Males are largely reddish above, each scale bearing a yellow spot and a red edge. The sides of the head are dull orange, becoming reddish pink toward the top, with a golden gill cover. Lower parts of the head and body are pale pink with a scarlet streak on the middle of the throat. Males have very elongated pelvic fins with enlarged first two rays, and the anal fin is enlarged and pointed in both sexes.

Breeding males develop intensified scarlet scale margins, a diffuse mid-lateral white band that broadens toward the tail, and a pale orange band from the upper mandible to the dorsal fin origin that turns dark orange-red. Females are yellow toward the back with lavender scales, each with a yellow center spot; the lower body is pale purple to white with a red throat streak. The caudal fin margin in females is slightly truncate or emarginate; in males it is convex or truncate, sometimes with exposed lower rays.

Reader's Guide

Pseudanthias heemstrai is a Red Sea endemic that occasionally appears in the aquarium trade. In the wild, it inhabits fore-reef slopes at depths of 15 to 60 meters, forming small loose aggregations and feeding on zooplankton. For aquarium maintenance, it requires rocky caves, strong water movement, and a large unencumbered area for schooling in the upper third of the water column. Tank mates should be peaceful, and this species should be the last introduced to the aquarium.

It accepts most regular aquarium foods such as finely chopped frozen or fresh meaty items (mysis, fish flesh, shrimp, squid, clam), offered at least twice daily and released upstream so water currents carry the food. If difficult to feed, fortified live adult brine shrimp may be necessary until it accepts other foods like fresh marine fish and invertebrate flesh. The species reaches a maximum total length of 13 cm.