The Harlequin Goldie, Pseudanthias connelli, is one of the most wildly patterned anthias species. Coming from only the Southwest Indian Ocean the harlequin goldie is primarily an endemic of South African waters, and very rarely seen outside of the country.
These are large showy anthias with a reasonable adult size and thick bodies on which their memorable color and pattern is displayed. These fish normally have a basic orange body color but males are saddled with a large girdle over the front of the body and a flag like tail.
When displaying the males turn a whitish lavender purple over most of their body to contrast even more with their darkened girdle pattern. The spawning display of any Anthias is a sight to behold but the bold markings of harlequin goldies is definitely among the top.
In this new video from Blue Harbor we see a harem of well conditioned Pseudanthias connelli ‘practicing’ their spawning runs. The full spawning colors are not yet in display but you can see hints of it in the girdle of the males and the pattern of their tales. These fish seem like they would appreciate a larger tank to do their full courtship display but in the meantime, it’s cool to see that this fish is doing well in someone’s home aquarium.
Important Note: The ability to export marine fish from South Africa is a grey area but there’s no doubt that a few fish have been shipped to other countries within the letter of the law.
