Yellowstriped Fairy Basslet

Tropical reef fish

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Identity card

Yellowstriped Fairy Basslet

Scientific name:: Pseudanthias tuka

Family:: Serranidae - Anthiinae

Class:: Actinopterygii

Phylum:: Chordata

Year of description:: Herre & Montalban, 1927

IUCN Status:: Least Concern

CITES-status:: Not Evaluated

Distribution:: From the Indian Ocean (Mauritius) to the Pacific Ocean.

Habitat:: Continental coral reefs and outer reef slopes, between 2 and 35 m depth.

Size:: 12 cm max

Diet:: Planktonic crustaceans and fish roe

Although they are small, Anthias belong to the grouper family.

They begin their sexual maturity as females and then become males. These fish form harems comprising one male and several females.

Did you know?

Where is the animal to be found?

Groups of Anthias are among the fish that divers most frequently spot within the first few metres of diving. This colourful fish is found in the temperate waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, in continental coral reefs and on outer reef slopes. The yellowstriped fairy basslet lives at a depth of between 2 and 35 metres.

From the Indian Ocean (Mauritius) to the Pacific Ocean: Indonesia, Japan, Solomon Islands up to the northern Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

How can it be recognised?

They can be recognised by their bright colours and their distinctive swimming pattern. It is also called the purple anthias because of its predominantly purple colour.

You can tell the male from the female. The male has a yellow snout with a prominent upper lip, whereas the female has a yellow line that runs from its dorsal side to its caudal fin.It is also smaller than the male.