A few weeks back we received a trio of Lyretail Anthias (Pseudanthias cheirospilos) and a trio of Blue Eye Cardinalfish (Apogon leptacanthus) from LiveAquaria’s Diver’s Den. They have settled in well and I managed to snap some photos of these guys over the weekend. For size reference, the Lysmata cleaner shrimp behind them is roughly [...]
A few weeks back we received a trio of Lyretail Anthias (Pseudanthias cheirospilos) and a trio of Blue Eye Cardinalfish (Apogon leptacanthus) from LiveAquaria’s Diver’s Den. They have settled in well and I managed to snap some photos of these guys over the weekend.
For size reference, the Lysmata cleaner shrimp behind them is roughly 2.5″ and over 1′ away. The anthias came in at 1″ and have already grown nearly a 0.25″.
Lyretail Anthias can be found across a wide range, but there are actually two different species. Most aquarists lump all Lyretails into P. squamipinnis, but P. cheirospilos also deserves recognition. Between these two the females look identical, but males differ in their coloration. Male P.cheirospilos from Indonesia feature a purple-red coloration that, can be distinguished from the ruby red male P. squamipinnis from the Indian Ocean.
I must double check with LiveAquaria, but I believe this trio was listed as hailing from Fiji. In which case they may be a similar, but separate species yet to be named.
Because of their tiny size, I acclimated them with a small section of 1″ PVC pipe; all three quickly hid inside. When moving them to the display tank, I first placed the pipe where I wanted near the front of the tank to keep an eye on them. Once released into the tank they quickly found the pipe and again made it there home. After a few days they became completely comfortable with their surroundings and the pipe was removed. This works extremely well when acclimating small and shy fish to a system with larger and more boisterous tankmates.
In the past Apogon leptacanthus was somewhat difficult to find. They have always been a popular staple in Japan due to their tight shoaling behavior, but it was not until the 90s when a few Japanese reefs, like the CP soft coral reef (see below), made the rounds across the internet that interest really sparked here in the United States.
The photo above, is rather bland from the flash. Under blue high kelvin lights their eyes glow and sparkle from refracting the light. The Deep Blue Superkaru (~50K) really makes this trio pop. Two of the three have already bonded and I am hopeful to see them spawn.
Apogon leptacanthus can be bred in captivity. Occasionally you can find them offered from ORA… but it is a very challenging species. Matt Wittenrich has reportedly had success and Matt Pederson managed to raise the fry to 45 days; you can follow his breeding log here.
Apogons in general ship very poorly. I was a bit worried about these three after seeing a few abrasions from shipping. It has been suggested that the sensitive skin of these fish are extremely susceptible to infection. When moving these, never use a net. Instead use a non-perforated plastic or glass container and gently lift them out.
(You rarely see any photos of A. leptacanthus in the wild… take a moment to check out these large silver blue shoals: Pic 1, Pic 2.)
Both P. cheirospilos and A. leptacanthus are hardy, active and always out in the open. If you have the space, it is hard to go wrong with either. For more information on the different Lyretail Anthias species, here is some additional information from Kevin Kohen.
