Square Box Anthias (Male)

Square Box Anthias (Pseudanthias pleurotaenia), also commonly known in the marine aquarium hobby as the Squarespot Anthias, Squareback Anthias, or Square Shoulder Anthias: 1. Appearance & Coloration Sexual Dimorphism: This species exhibits striking differences between genders: Males: Display a vibrant pink-to-magenta or red body featuring a distinct, large rectangular or quadrilateral purplish-pink patch on their flanks. They are also accented by a red tip on the dorsal fin and reddish stripes running near the head and eyes. Females & Juveniles: Feature a bright yellow-to-orange or soft pink body with orange scale edges, complemented by thin purple stripes running from the eye down the lower flanks. Size: They are one of the larger anthias species, growing to an adult length of up to 8 inches (20 cm). 2. Native Origin & Habitat Geography: Widely distributed across the Indo-Pacific region, ranging from Indonesia and the Great Barrier Reef to Samoa and Micronesia. Environment: Typically found inhabiting deep drop-offs, outer reef slopes, and areas with strong currents near coral colonies, usually at depths ranging from 30 to over 500 feet. 3. Tank Requirements Minimum Tank Size: Requires a large aquarium of at least 125 to 180+ gallons to accommodate their active swimming style and ultimate adult size. Rockwork: Provide plenty of live rock arranged with caves, overhangs, and crevices to give them secure areas to rest and retreat. Tank Cover: A tight-fitting lid or mesh screen top is mandatory, as anthias are prone to jumping when startled. 4. Diet & Feeding Natural Diet: Continuous planktivores feeding on zooplankton and small marine invertebrates suspended in the water column. Captive Diet: Because of their high metabolism, they require frequent feedings (multiple times a day). Provide a heavy-duty carnivorous diet consisting of frozen mysis shrimp, enriched brine shrimp, cyclops, finely chopped table shrimp, and high-quality prepared floating foods. 5. Reef Compatibility Status: Reef Safe Behavior: Completely safe with corals, clams, and sessile invertebrates. They spend most of their time swimming openly in the mid-water column. 6. Temperament & Tank Mates Temperament: Generally peaceful with unrelated tankmates, but they exhibit a strict social hierarchy. They are sequential hermaphrodites; individuals begin life as females, with the dominant female capable of transitioning into a male if the primary male is lost. Compatibility: Best kept in a harem structure consisting of one dominant male and multiple females (groups of 3 to several individuals, introduced simultaneously). Avoid housing them with overly aggressive or hyper-aggressive fish that will outcompete them during feeding time.