Orange Basslet, Pseudanthias squamipinnis (Peters 1855)

Other Names: Lyretail Anthias, Lyretail Fairy Basslet, Orange Fairy Basslet, Orange Seaperch, Scalefin Anthias, Scalefin Basslet, Scalefin Fairy Basslet, Sea Goldie

A male Scalefin Anthias, Pseudanthias squamipinnis, at South Solitary Island, New South Wales, May 1998. Source: Ian Shaw / iNaturalist.org. License: CC by Attribution-NonCommercial

Summary:

Males are purplish-pink with a pink to orange streak from the eye to the pectoral-fin base, a red patch on the pectoral fin, and pale spots on a blue anal fin. They also have an elongate third dorsal-fin ray, and elongate upper and lower caudal-fin rays. Females are golden-orange with a violet streak from below the eye to the pectoral-fin base.

Like other basslets, this species is a protogynous hermaphrodite. The territorial males guard a harem of up to 10 females. If the male dies or disappears, the dominant female will change sex to replace the missing male.

Cite this page as:

Bray, D.J. 2021, Pseudanthias squamipinnis in Fishes of Australia, accessed 11 Sep 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/4402

Orange Basslet, Pseudanthias squamipinnis (Peters 1855)

More Info

Distribution	Rowley Shoals to Scott Reef, Western Australia, Ashmore Reef, Timor Sea, and the far northern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, and reefs in the Coral Sea, to Montague Island, New South Wales, with juveniles further south; also Christmas Island in the eastern Indian Ocean, and the Lord Howe Province and Norfolk Island in the Tasman Sea. Elsewhere the species is widespread in the tropical Indo-west Pacific. Forms large aggregations above coral outcrops and patch reefs in clear lagoons, reef channels, and on outer reef slopes.
Feeding	Large schools are often seen feeding on zooplankton in the water column above the reef.
Biology	A protogynous hermaphrodite. Males are very territorial, and dominate a harem of females and juveniles. Female to male sex change is induced by the absence or removal of males from social groups, and sex-reversal occurs over a period of 2-4 weeks.
Remarks	Kuiter (2004) regards this species to be restricted to the Western Indian Ocean.
Etymology	The specific name squamipinnis is from the Latin squamus (= scale) and pinnis (= fin), in reference to scaly sheath covering the fins.
Species Citation	Serranus (Anthias) squamipinnis Peters 1855, Monatsberichte der Königlichen Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin 1855: 429. Type locality: Mozambique.
Author	Bray, D.J. 2021
Resources	Atlas of Living Australia Australian Faunal Directory Catalog of Fishes

Orange Basslet, Pseudanthias squamipinnis (Peters 1855)

References

Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 292 pp. 106 pls.

Allen, G.R. & Starck, W.A. 1982. The anthiid fishes of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, with the description of a new species. Revue Française d'Aquariologie et Herpetologie 9(2): 47-56 figs 1-28 (as Anthias squamipinnis)

Allen, G.R., Hoese, D.F., Paxton, J.R., Randall, J.E., Russell, B.C., Starck, W.A., Talbot, F.H. & Whitley, G.P. 1976. Annotated checklist of the fishes of Lord Howe Island. Records of the Australian Museum 30(15): 365-454 figs 1-2 as Franzia squamipinnis)

Allen, G.R., Steene, R.C. & Orchard, M. 2007. Fishes of Christmas Island. Christmas Island : Christmas Island Natural History Association 2 edn, 284 pp.

Allsop, D.J. & West, S.A. 2003. Constant relative age and size at sex change for sequentially hermaphroditic fish. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 16: 921-929.

Avise, J.C. & Shapiro, D.Y. 1986. Evaluating kinship of newly settled juveniles within social groups of the coral reef fish Anthias squamipinnis. Evolution 40: 1051–1059. doi: 10.2307/2408763

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Johnson, J.W. 2010. Fishes of the Moreton Bay Marine Park and adjacent continental shelf waters, Queensland, Australia. pp. 299-353 in Davie, P.J.F. & Phillips, J.A. Proceedings of the Thirteenth International Marine Biological Workshop, The Marine Fauna and Flora of Moreton Bay. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 54(3)

Kuiter, R.H. 1993. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 437 pp.

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Kuiter, R.H. 2004. Basslets, Hamlets and their relatives. A comprehensive guide to selected Serranidae and Plesiopidae. Chorleywood, UK : TMC Publishing 1, 216 pp. as Pseudanthias cf. cheirospilos)

Kuiter, R. & Kuiter, S. 2018. Coastal sea-fishes of south-eastern Australia. Seaford, Victoria : Aquatic Photographics, 371 pp.

Ogilby, J.D. 1888. Exhibition of a second specimen of a rare percoid fish, Anthias (Pseudanthias) cichlops Bleeker, from Lord Howe Island. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 3(2): 741 (as Anthias cichlops)

Oxley, W.G., Ayling, A.M., Cheal, A.J. & Osborne, K. 2004. Marine surveys undertaken in the Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs Marine National Nature Reserve, December 2003. Townsville : Australian Institute of Marine Sciences 64 pp.

Peters, W.C.H. 1855. Übersicht der in Mossambique beobachteten Seefische. Monatsberichte der Königlichen Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin 1855: 428-466.

Popper, D. & Fishelson, L. 1973. Ecology and behavior of Anthias squamipinnis (Peters, 1855) (Anthiidae, Teleostei) in the coral habitat of Eilat (Red Sea). Journal of Experimental Zoology 184: 409-424.

Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & Steene, R. 1990. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 507 pp. figs.

Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & Steene, R. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 557 pp. figs.

Russell, B.C. 1983. Annotated checklist of the coral reef fishes in the Capricorn-Bunker group, Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. Special Publication Series 1: 1-184 figs 1-2

Shapiro, D. 1988. Variation of group composition and spatial structure with group size in a sex-changing fish. Animal Behavior 36: 140-149.

Sadovy, Y. & Shapiro, D.Y. 1987. Criteria for the diagnosis of hermaphroditism in fishes. Copeia 1987(1): 136-156.

Waite, E.R. 1904. Catalogue of the fishes of Lord Howe Island. Records of the Australian Museum 5(3): 187–230. (as Pseudanthias hypselosoma)

Williams, J.T., Lawrence, A. & Myers, R. 2016. Pseudanthias squamipinnis . The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T69591800A69592809. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T69591800A69592809.en. Downloaded on 13 January 2020.