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Mirror Basslet
Pseudanthias pleurotaenia (Bleeker, 1857)
Above and below: A male Mirror Basslet at a depth of 25 m, North Ambae, Vanuatu, July 2003. Photo © E. Schlögl. View larger image.
Male Mirror Basslets can be recognised by the violet-coloured square on the side of the body and the long third dorsal fin spine. Females and juveniles are yellow to orange with two violet to red stripes across the cheek and along the ventral surface of the body. Both sexes have a lunate caudal fin.
It grows to about 20 cm in length.
The species occurs in coral reef and inshore tropical waters of the East Indian to Central Pacific Oceans. It is usually seen at depths greater than 20 m.
In Australia the Mirror Basslet is known from the offshore islands of north-western Western Australia and north-eastern Queensland.
It has also been called the Blotched Fairy Basslet and Squarespot Anthias.
Related links
- Striped Anthias fact sheet
- Threadfin Anthias fact sheet
- Scalefin Anthias fact sheet
- Purple Anthias fact sheet
- View the Family Serranidae list
- View the Basslets list
Further reading
- Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
- Hoese, D.F., Bray, D.J., Paxton, J.R. & G.R. Allen. 2006. Fishes. In Beesley, P.L. & A. Wells. (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Volume 35. ABRS & CSIRO Publishing: Australia. parts 1-3, pages 1-2178.
- Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
- Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.
