| Sea goldie | |
|---|---|
| Sea goldie, Pseudanthias squamipinnis | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Serranidae |
| Genus: | Pseudanthias |
| Species: | P. squamipinnis |
| Binomial name | |
| Pseudanthias squamipinnis (Peters, 1885) |
|
Also known as the lyretail coralfish, the lyretail anthias [1] or the scalefin anthia, but may be simply known as the goldfish. The sea goldie is a common sight to scuba divers in the Indian Ocean, and is a typical representative of the subfamily of Anthiinae.
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The sea goldie is found in the western Indian Ocean including the Red Sea, and in the Pacific Ocean as far east as Japan and southeast Australia. It is absent from the Persian Gulf and Oman.[1]
This species shows marked sexual dimorphism;[2]
The midas blenny, Ecsenius midas, goes through a phase of yellow colouration and is a social mimic of the sea goldie.[1]
The sea goldie feeds primarily on zooplankton.[2]
Vermillion seabass is one predator of the sea goldie.
Like other anthias (Anthiinae) the sea goldie is a protogynous hermaphrodite; a male retains a harem of 5-10 females, but when the male dies one of the females will undergo sex reversal and take the place of the missing male.
Reproduction occurs at sunset, between December and February (in the red sea).[3]
Around coral outcrops in clear lagoons, patch reefs and steep slopes to a depth of 35 m, often to be found in the company of Chromis diademata . They are often found in very large schools above the reef.[1]