PSEUDANTHIAS FLAVICAUDA - (RANDALL & PYLE, 2001)
Picture courtesy of: Alain Daoulas
Yellow-tailed Anthias, Yellowtail anthias,
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Description
Dorsal spines (total): 10; Dorsal soft rays (total): 16; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 7; Vertebrae: 26. Body depth: 3.1-3.3 in SL; Head length: 3.15-3.3 in SL. Posterior edge of orbit without papillae. Caudal fin deeply emarginate to lunate, the caudal concavity 1.05-2.5 in HL. Body of males magenta with a large predominantly yellow area on back between base of 4th dorsal spine and 4th or 5th dorsal soft rays; head pink, suffused with yellow dorsally, with a pink-edged yellow band from eye to pectoral-fin base; fins mainly yellow except anal which is lavender with a yellow band; its upper lip slightly fleshy and finely papillae anteriorly, but not developed to a protuberance; its third dorsal spine moderately elongate, 1.5-1.95 in HL. Females orange-pink, shading to pink ventrally, the scales dorsally on body with dusky yellow centers; caudal fin bright yellow. Max length: 6.6 cm SL male; 5.6 cm SL female. Depth range: 30 - 61 m.
Colour
Colour of male when fresh
Body with a broad yellow area on back between base of fourth dorsal spine and fourth to fifth dorsal soft rays; rest of body magenta, the outer part of the scales yellow (progressively more yellow anteriorly), shading to orange posteriorly on caudal peduncle; head, chest, and adjacent abdomen pink, the dorsal part of head suffused with yellow; ventral part of chest yellow, becoming orange on isthmus; a narrow yellow band, edged below with violet, from behind lower part of eye to upper base of pectoral fin; a small magenta blotch near front of snout at edge of upper lip; upper lip orange anteriorly, shading posteriorly to yellow; orbit narrowly rimmed with yellow; iris yellow with a middle ring of purple that is broadest dorsally; spinous portion of dorsal fin translucent yellow, the outer anterior part of first four spines magenta, this colour continuing as a margin to sixth dorsal soft ray; soft portion of dorsal fin a mixture of translucent yellow and violet; anal fin transluscent violet with a band of translucent yellow from base of spines and first soft ray, narrowing to tip of third soft ray; margin of fin anterior to tip of third soft ray pink; caudal fin yellow, the base of fin a mixture of magenta and orange, the upper and lower margins pink, broadening and darkening to magenta basally; pectoral fins with yellow rays and translucent membranes; pelvic fins translucent pale yellow, the leading edge pink.
Colour in life of mature females
Body pink, the scale centers of about upper half of body dusky orange; dorsal part of head, snout, and chin yellow, suffused with pink, shading to pink ventrally; dorsal and anal fins translucent yellow, the dorsal with a pink margin except anteriorly, and the anal with a pink to lavender margin anterior to fifth soft ray; caudal fin bright yellow; paired fins yellow, the pelvics with a pink to lavender leading edge.
Etymology
Pseudanthias: from Greek, pseudes = false + from Greek, anthias = a fish, Sparus aurata.
flavicauda: from Latin, flavus = yellow + from Latin, cauda = A tail (of an animal). Named for its yellow caudal fin ; the specific name is a noun in apposition to Pseudanthias.
Original description: Pseudanthias flavicauda Randall & Pyle, 2001 - Type locality: Beqa (Mbengga) Island, ocean side, Fiji, depth 61 meters.
Distribution
Western Pacific: off islands of Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, Holmes Reef in the Coral Sea (Australia), New Caledonia.
Similar species
Pseudanthias randalli (Lubbock & Allen, 1978) - Reported from New Caledonia - Link to the species (here) - The females of Pseudanthias flavicauda and Pseudanthias randalli (with yellow snout) are similar in colour.
Pseudanthias pulcherrimus (Heemstra & Randall, 1986) - Reported from Western Indian Ocean: South Africa, Seychelles and western Mascarenes east to Maldives, Chagos Archipelago and Andaman Islands.
Caesioperca rasor (Richardson, 1839) - Endemic to southern Australia, from southern Western Australia to Victoria, including Tasmania.