Sacura sanguinea is a striking new species of anthias with a coloration and ornate finnage that is truly befitting of this group of fish. Described based on just a few specimens from the Andaman Sea, this new species has a radical band stretching from the face to the tail.
What’s wild about this marking is that it starts out yellow on the face and around the eyes, bordered in pink, and gradually turns to red towards the tail.Naturally S. sanguinea has the attractive elongated fin rays in the hard and soft parts of the dorsal fins that Sacura are well known for. We may have only one picture of Sacura sanguinea but what a photo it is, perhaps one of the best of a preserved specimen we’ve ever seen.
The newest species of Sacura is described by Motomura, Tomohiro & Vilasri in the latest edition of ZooTaxa. Sacura sanguinea joins the ranks of S. parva and S. speciosa as some of the most ornate and colorful fish in the sea, especially of the deeper reef regions of the world.
