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Randall's Anthias
Anthias

Randall's Anthias

Pseudanthias randalli

A small deeper-water anthias that stays near the rock rather than out in open water — males carry red and magenta striping over a white body, females are plainer with a yellow snout. It is a harem fish: one male with two or more females, all introduced together, or a single specimen in a normal-sized reef. Because it lives close to the structure it wants caves and overhangs it can duck into, and it is easily out-competed at feeding time by pushy tankmates. Feed small portions several times a day and it settles in well; a refugium producing pods helps during the first weeks. Reef safe and harmless to inverts, but shy enough that it needs calm company.

Temperament
Peaceful
Max size
2.8"
Min tank
70 gal
Reef-safe
Reef safe
Diet
Planktivore
Zone
Mid-water, Rockwork, Caves
Keep one male with several females in a large tank.
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Tankmates

How Randall's Anthias gets on with the rest of the reef, checked pair by pair by the same engine as the live pre-flight.

Best kept apart

A real clash — aggression, predation or a same-genus fight.

Maroon ClownfishMaroon Clownfish (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Randall's Anthias and may harass it.Purple TangPurple Tang (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Randall's Anthias and may harass it.Red Coris WrasseRandall's anthias should not be housed with large wrasses, which outcompete it for food. The red coris is a powerful swimmer with a big appetite that dominates the tank — the anthias simply never gets to the food.Lyretail AnthiasRandall's anthias is a shy deep-water species; the lyretail is one of the boldest and pushiest anthias. Mixed together the two males contest dominance and the Randall's stays hidden. Needs a large, dimly lit tank to have a chance.Antennata LionfishAntennata Lionfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Randall's Anthias.Picasso TriggerfishPicasso Triggerfish (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Randall's Anthias and may harass it.Royal DottybackRandall's anthias is shy on arrival and aggressive tankmates keep it hiding far longer. A royal dottyback harasses shy species relentlessly, which often means the anthias never starts feeding at all.Domino DamselDomino Damsel (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Randall's Anthias and may harass it.Marine BettaSmall (7 cm) anthias and juveniles can be taken by the Betta; fast midwater swimmers are safer than gobies but not immune at night.Dragon WrasseDragon Wrasse has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Randall's Anthias.Volitans LionfishVolitans Lionfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Randall's Anthias.Zebra Dwarf LionfishZebra Dwarf Lionfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Randall's Anthias.Snowflake MoraySnowflake Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Randall's Anthias.Zebra MorayZebra Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Randall's Anthias.Chainlink MorayChainlink Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Randall's Anthias.Golden Dwarf MorayGolden Dwarf Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Randall's Anthias.Rectangle TriggerfishRectangle Triggerfish (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Randall's Anthias and may harass it.Clown TriggerfishClown Triggerfish (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Randall's Anthias and may harass it.Miniata GrouperMiniata Grouper (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Randall's Anthias and may harass it.Panther GrouperPanther Grouper (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Randall's Anthias and may harass it.

Keep an eye on these

Usually fine, but worth watching in a smaller tank.

Sailfin TangSailfin Tang (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Randall's Anthias and may harass it.Powder Blue TangRandall's anthias can live with medium tangs only if it is established first; large aggressive tangs outcompete it for food. A powder blue is at the wrong end of that scale — add the anthias long before the tang, if at all.Convict TangConvict Tang (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Randall's Anthias and may harass it.Dispar AnthiasBoth are harem anthias whose dominant female turns male, so two species in one tank means two males contesting the same role. Dispar guidance advises caution with other anthias species — one species kept as a proper harem is the safer build.Sunburst AnthiasBoth are shy, cave-oriented anthias that want the same shaded ledges, and the sunburst is territorial toward similar-looking fish. Two timid species competing for the same hiding spots usually means one of them never settles.Foxface RabbitfishRandall's anthias should not be housed with aggressive feeders such as rabbitfish, which will beat it to the food. It is a slow starvation risk, not a fight — mitigate with several small feedings a day.Emperor AngelfishEmperor Angelfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Randall's Anthias and may harass it.Regal AngelfishRegal Angelfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Randall's Anthias and may harass it.Achilles TangAchilles Tang (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Randall's Anthias and may harass it.Naso TangNaso Tang (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Randall's Anthias and may harass it.Scopas TangScopas Tang (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Randall's Anthias and may harass it.One Spot FoxfaceRandall's anthias is a deep-water, shy species that is explicitly warned against being housed with rabbitfish because they outcompete it at feeding time. The foxface eats first and fastest; the anthias slowly loses condition.Queen AngelfishQueen Angelfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Randall's Anthias and may harass it.Blueface AngelfishBlueface Angelfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Randall's Anthias and may harass it.Chevron TangChevron Tang (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Randall's Anthias and may harass it.Mimic TangMimic Tang (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Randall's Anthias and may harass it.Powder Brown TangPowder Brown Tang (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Randall's Anthias and may harass it.Blue-Throat TriggerfishBlue-Throat Triggerfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Randall's Anthias and may harass it.Crosshatch TriggerfishCrosshatch Triggerfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Randall's Anthias and may harass it.Niger TriggerfishNiger Triggerfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Randall's Anthias and may harass it.