Yellow Anthias (Squareback Female)

About this fish

Yellow Anthias (Squareback Female) is a small, colorful anthias for the home saltwater aquarium. When identified as Pseudanthias pleurotaenia, it’s known for being active and schooling, making it a great choice for adding constant movement and mid-water color to a reef or fish-only setup. In practice, anthias do best when feeding is frequent and the tank provides open swimming space and stable conditions, so they “fit” tanks that can support multiple small meals each day.

Features:

• Active, schooling fish that add continuous movement in the middle of the tank
• Typically kept in a group structure with one male and several females (reduces aggression compared with random mixing)
• Often regarded as reef safe, making it a common option for community aquariums
• High energy needs—best supported with small, frequent feedings rather than one or two larger meals
• Benefits from strong, well-distributed water flow and stable water quality
• Helps to add to a mature system and acclimate slowly when arriving

Specifications:

• Scientific name (if applicable): Pseudanthias pleurotaenia
• Care level: Moderate to demanding (requires frequent feeding and stable water)
• Temperament: Active; can be territorial—often managed with one male and multiple females
• Placement: Middle of the aquarium (open swimming space recommended)
• Water flow: Strong, well-distributed flow
• Diet: Small portions of frozen mysis, copepods, and quality pellets; feed multiple times per day
• Temperature: About 72–79°F (22–26°C)
• Salinity: About 1.020–1.025 SG
• pH: About 8.1–8.4