Peach Fairy Anthias (Mirolabrichthys dispar) Care Guide
Mirolabrichthys dispar, the peach fairy anthias, lives along shallow outer reef slopes with moderate currents in the Pacific.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Mirolabrichthys dispar (Herre, 1955), the peach fairy anthias, is a small reef fish. FishBase records a maximum total length of 9.5 cm and a preferred temperature range of 22-28 °C. It is listed under the genus Nemanthias in FishBase and as Pseudanthias dispar in WoRMS.
Taxonomy
- Family: Serranidae (Anthiadidae in FishBase)
- Genus: Mirolabrichthys
- Scientific name: Mirolabrichthys dispar (Herre, 1955)
- Combinations: Nemanthias dispar (FishBase), Pseudanthias dispar (WoRMS)
Habitat
According to FishBase the species occurs in the Pacific from Christmas Island and the eastern Indian Ocean to the Line Islands, north to the Yaeyama Islands and south to the Great Barrier Reef, Fiji and Samoa. It inhabits the upper edge of steep outer reef slopes with moderate currents, at depths of about 0 to 18 m. FishBase notes that Pseudanthias ignitus replaces this species in the Indian Ocean.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 400 L (about 106 gal) (KB record)
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Carbonate hardness range (record): 8-12 °dGH
- School size: at least 5 individuals (KB record)
- Lifespan: 4-10 years (KB record)
Diet
The KB record classifies this species as a carnivore, and FishBase reports a trophic level near 3.3. As a planktivorous anthias it benefits from frequent small feedings in aquaria.
Compatibility
This is a peaceful, mid-water schooling species. Suitable companions include tangs, wrasses, clownfish and Genicanthus angelfish, while aggressive damselfish and triggerfish should be avoided.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern, assessed 11 March 2015. The species is commercially important for both fisheries and the aquarium trade.
Mirolabrichthys dispar Breeding Guide
Overview
Mirolabrichthys dispar, the peach fairy anthias, is recorded on FishBase under the genus name Nemanthias (formerly Pseudanthias dispar), reflecting a 2022 revision in which Mirolabrichthys is a related taxon. It ranges across the Pacific from Christmas Island to the Line Islands at depths of about 0 to 18 metres, reaches around 9.5 cm and occurs in large mixed-sex aggregations feeding in reef currents; it is replaced by Pseudanthias ignitus in the Indian Ocean.
Sexing
The peach fairy anthias is protogynous: fish begin as females and the dominant female changes into a male when the resident male is lost. Groups are harems of one dominant male with two to twelve females and up to two subdominant males. The species is sexually dimorphic: females are orange with a yellowish tail and a pink line, while males display a bright red dorsal fin.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
The dominant male courts harem females with acrobatic U-swim displays before paired ascents into the water column release gametes. Aquaculture observations on related anthias place spawning near dusk, with buoyant eggs floating at the surface that are recovered using an evening egg collector rather than from a nest.
Egg & Fry Care
Eggs are pelagic and hatch into tiny planktonic larvae that feed within the plankton. In documented related-anthias rearing, larvae took copepods and settled into juveniles roughly a month after hatching. These conditions cannot be recreated in a home reef, where the floating egg stage and live-plankton larval diet are unmanageable.
Common Challenges
Anthias have been aquacultured for only a few species in institutional hatcheries. Wild-caught individuals additionally require frequent feeding plus expert quarantine and conditioning to survive, so home breeding of the peach fairy anthias is not realistic.