Pseudanthias sp. 4 is an undescribed anthias from Palau and parts of Micronesia. Aptly called the double-bar anthias, the spectacular specimen possesses two vertical bars on it’s predominantly pink body. The fish is apparently not uncommon in the reefs of Palau and has been a popular photography subject for years. The anthias shares its habitat with Cirrhilabrus earlei, and is often seen mingling together.
Due to it’s rather difficult location, Pseudanthias sp. 4 is not commonly found in the trade. It used to be collected together with P. calloura and C. earlei years ago whenever collectors visited Palau. BlueHarbor brought in a pair before but the male was a young specimen that had not reached its full potential as those seen in the wild.
Fully grown males are a beautiful lavender with two striking orangey bars that run vertically down from the top. Males also possess a bright red spot on the dorsal fin right above the first bar. The stunning male pictured on the left by Daisuke Yanai is an exemplary model of just how beautiful this species can be.
As mentioned above, this anthias is commonly seen mingling with C. earlei at deeper depths. They typically inhabit rubble bottoms on deep reefs. The picture and video below shows the typical habitat of Pseudanthias sp. 4. Be sure to check out the short video of them in the wild too.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5jj086rLYY[/youtube]
