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Aqualognews NUMBER 94 20 Serranocirrhitus latus- - the Fathead Anthias is far from easy to maintain by Joachim Frische This anthias differs markedly in its behavior from other anthias from the genus Pseudanthias. MARINES Fathead Anthias Photo: Frank Schäfer N ot a “true” anthias Many anthias are popular in the marine aquarium hobby and generally problemfree in their maintenance. The challenge with the Fathead Anthias involves its feeding: in the past mine would eat nothing but larger crustaceans such as Mysis and – albeit less readily – Artemia. In my 800-liter aquarium, which has a rich population of Xenia, small Krill became their preferred food within a short time. My two specimens have proved to be cautious feeders that can be quickly scared away by greedy competitors for food. Unlike the norm for other anthias, the two of them are not unrestrained feeders that greedily gulp down whatever food is offered. Several meals a day This surprising behavior makes it necessary to give several meals of frozen food per day, as so far dried food has been rejected.Hence the maintenance of the Fathead Anthias is time-consuming in terms of feeding. Not group-forming These fishes spend most of the day in separate areas of the aquarium without too much swimming activity. Adult specimens attain a length of at least 13 cm. Fenner (2004) states that males are more orange-red in color while females have a relatively large amount of lilac in their coloration. I place no reliance on body coloration but hope for the protogynous hermaphroditism usual in anthias. Ecology in the wild Michael (1998) describes the social behavior as solitary or in pairs. He also states that he has sometimes seen the species in a group of three.They are tightly “bound”to the reef, where they always keep the underside of their bodies pointing towards the substrate. Preferred habitats are stony coral formations and aggregations of soft corals and gorgonians. Other authors report small groups on the outside of the reef where the drop-off descends into the fathomless abyss. Hawkfish or grouper? An interesting story lies behind the scientific name of the monotypic genus Serranocirrhitus. “Serrano” derives from the family
Aqualognews NUMBER 94 21 Serranidae (sea basses, groupers, and fairy basslets, including the anthias) and “cirrhitus” from the hawkfish family (Cirrhitidae). In naming this species in 1949 its author, Watanabe, was unable to decide to which family the newly discovered species latus should be assigned.So he gave it the genus name Serranocirrhitus and placed it in the Hawkfish family. Thirteen years later Whitley described an attractive little perciform which he gave the name Dactylanthias mcmichaeli. Because the holotype differed somewhat in color from that of Watanabe, the two species were regarded as distinct until 1978. It was Randall who spotted this error in 1978 and recognized the purported two species as being just one. He placed it in the subfamily Anthiinae (anthias) of the family Serranidae (groupers, etc), where it remains to the present day. If, despite the time-consuming feeding, you are interested in keeping this unusual fish Literature: Fenner, R. (2004): Serranocirrhitus latus ist ein nicht alltäglicher Aquarienfisch. Das Aquarium 38(10), 41-42 Michael, S.W. (1998): Reef Fishes,Volume 1. Microcosm Ltd. Shelburne. In my aquarium. Photo: Joachim Frische then your aquarium dealer can undoubtedly order them for you from a wholesaler of his acquaintance – for example Meeresaquaristik-Reising in Alzenau-Wasserlos, Germany, Fax +49 (0)6023 - 31502. Sex change in fishes In the vast majority of freshwater fishes sex is a permanent attribute that cannot be altered in the individual specimen. Things are very different in very many marine fishes. Here changing sex is almost the rule. We distinguish protogynous species, which begin life as females and have the potential to end up as males, and protandrous species in which the situation is reversed. Whether or not an individual changes sex depends on, inter alia, whether the other sex is present. Thus anemonefishes (Amphiprion) are protandrous, for example. But only the highestranking individual in a group can transform into a female. Serranocirrhitus latus is gloriously colored. Photo: Frank Schäfer
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