Fish ID help please

[moonstreak2005]

Yesterday I purchased what was supposed to be 3 lyretail anthias. I got to my lfs about an hr after their shipment of fish came in. I didn't want the fish removed from their shipping bags just to have to be caught and transported again in such a short time, so I checked them out as good as I could while they were still in the shipping bags which are thick and are black on the bottom half. I got them home, turned off the 10k lights on the tank, and floated their bags. After about an hr I turned off the actinics as well, leaving only the moons on so they would be less stressed and have as little attention drawn to them as possible. They all ofc took off into the rocks when I let them loose. One of them came out after only a few mins, followed after about 20mins by another, then an hr and the 3rd one showed up finally, much larger than the other 2. Today I put only the actinics on for most of the day, but about an hr ago turned on the 10k's to get a better look at them. I had put live brine in earlier and all 3 ate very readily, but 1 just didn't look the same to me. While 2 which are about the same size (approx 3") have red tips on each end of the tail fin, the 3rd and larger one does not. Also the tail fin of the 3rd one is more fan shaped than lyretail in appearance. The bottom fin of the larger one is almost the same, but is much fuller and shaped slightly different. The top fin of 2 of them is lavender, while the 3rd is more yellow with a red dot in it. The eyes of 2 are blue/purple, while the eyes of the 3rd are more yellow/green looking. The 2 that look the same mostly stick together and are out in the open most of the time, while the 3rd stays more in the rocks and not with the other 2. The overall body shape of all 3 is the same, and the overall body coloring is the same, a really beautiful salmon/pinkish orange that changes colors from light yellow to light purple as they travel thru the tank, like a color changing car as the sun hits it differently. Adding some pics, couldn't get one with the top fin of the odd one open enough to really show the red round spot on the top fin well at all, but there is one. The 3 do run into each other in the tank at times, but while they don't actively avoid each other or fight, the odd 1 just doesn't seem to fit in with the other 2 either. Hoping someone will be able to help me figure out what this fish is if not a lyretail. As I watch them, the 2 pick at each other now & then, debating dominance I assume, while the 3rd pretty much stays in the rocks and never has a part in anything like that with either of them. My worry is if the odd one is an anthias, female, and not a lyretail, she won't do well alone.

 

[carey]

Hey you! So you went and got some anthias's. NICE

they look like lyretails to me from the photos, I can't easily see any difference between any of the pictures. :-(

 

[moonstreak2005]

This is a better pic of the odd fish, shows more of the red spot on the top fin and the fan shaped tail....

 

[moonstreak2005]

Hey Carey!! They got some aquacultured live rock in...it's NICE!! I stocked it all into the rock tank for them and got all the rubble pieces for my refugium Also hid some of the nice smaller pieces I want to get for my tank hehee I have some fishy questions for you when you have some time....

 

[moonstreak2005]

It didn't let me add the pic....trying again
You think it is a lyretail? I'm hoping it is, but it really doesn't have much to do with the other 2, and the tail is not lyre shaped at all but more of a kind of rounded fan type.

 

[carey]

Hey Carey!! They got some aquacultured live rock in...it's NICE!! I stocked it all into the rock tank for them and got all the rubble pieces for my refugium Also hid some of the nice smaller pieces I want to get for my tank hehee I have some fishy questions for you when you have some time....

i still owe you an email! lol I promise I'll get to it soon. hehe... Almost time to go fish/coral shopping!

 

[carey]

Oh and yep, still looks like a lyretail to me. Maybe someone else will chime in.

 

[moonstreak2005]

Fish/coral shopping...yes! Definitely looking forward to that!
This larger fish also looks like her bottom lip was torn...looks like a fish that was hooked and tore the bottom lip removing the hook, but it definitely eats fine so hope that will be ok. Couldn't get a pic of that.

 

[carey]

If you can get a better picture just post. I'm sure someone can tell the distinct differences between them. You got 3 of these fish right? If two are female then you got lucky and they should be fine.

 

[Zer0]

Mmm.. those don't look like lyretail anthias to me.. I'm thinking Stocky Anthias. Because the tail on all of them are pretty flat and rounded, unlike most other anthias including the lyretail which have pointy curved tails.

 

[moonstreak2005]

Zer0 thank you! Yes, I looked up Stocky Anthias and that is exactly what all 3 of them are! The larger one is a male, the other 2 are females! I'm at least relieved to know they are all the same type of anthias, even tho they aren't lyretails after all. Even the shipping label put on each bag by the dealer specified that they were lyretail anthias, so don't know what's up with that because looking at the photos they are definitely stockys. Which also means...they will be larger fish than I had thought! lol

 

[carey]

Have they eaten yet? My female doesnt eat anything other than frozen while the male will eat everything and anything. Sometimes you can have trouble feeding them, so keep an eye on them to make sure they are eating. I also feed twice daily because of them. they have huge appetites.

 

[Zer0]

No problem, that's what we're here for. Carey gave some good advice too, as all anthias need to be fed at least twice a day to keep healthy and active.

 

[moonstreak2005]

Zer0 thank you! I looked up Stocky Anthias and yes, that is exactly what all 3 of them are! The larger one is a male, the other 2 are females. Don't know what happened with that, even the label placed on each bag by the distributor stated they were lyretails. I am relieved to know they are all the same type even if they aren't lyretails after all. So, I got 3 stockys for the price of 3 lyretails which is a bargain, but also going to be larger fish than I thought lol It's ok with me, they are really beautiful and I love them! I am still at a loss why the male stays pretty much by himself rather than with the 2 females, but hopefully that will change later on? He mostly stays in the rocks. When he comes out, within minutes the 2 females go into the rocks until he goes back in then they come back out. The 2 females stick together and bicker off & on. I hope they aren't arguing over dominance and one of them morph into a male, leaving me with 2 males & 1 female then....from everything I've read about anthias that won't be a good outcome in the end.

 

[carey]

Not sure if I told you, but i picked up a female squareback anthias for my male and it's so incredible how they act. the male swims these big circles around the female and then comes in real close then darts away showing off some more. He even has a strip now on head of color, just like my cichlids do when they wanna get randy.

Also anthias I believe as a whole light dime lighting so don't worry if the fish are hiding during the lights on part of the day. Mine both hang out underneath my frag racks in the shade. LOL

 

[moonstreak2005]

Sorry about that, the post didn't show up the 1st time.
Yes, they are all eating already, and they really like to eat! I mean, all my fish love meal time lol, but these guys really are quite piggy! I fed them twice today, live brine the 1st time and frozen plankton later on. Until I fed them all 3 were staying hidden in the rocks...since the 1st meal the 2 females swim in the open like they've been there for years lol

 

[carey]

I'm glad. they are really nice fish, wish I could have more lol.
Mine eat like I've been starving them for days, very aggressive eaters.

 

[moonstreak2005]

Zer0, Carey lives near me, I ask her advice all the time hehee...her tanks are BEAUTIFUL!! She's great and a big help, and she is probably the main reason I didn't give up on this tank as I almost did because I was just having one problem after another and got very discouraged for a while. This 125 was SO different from my 29g cube, which was easy as pie. I thought I was much more prepared for this than I was, that's for sure! The 125 is a whole new world to me...and I'm definitely in learning mode still with it

 

[moonstreak2005]

I only put the actinics on for most of the day today so they could acclimate with less stress, and the 1st feeding was with that lighting. I'm hoping the male will become less shy as time goes by. When I did put the main lights on this evening, the 2 females still stayed out in the open being their cheerful flashy selves like they've lived there forever. (probably looking for their next meal!)
Carey, thank you so much for being there for me through all the problems...and even the problems I had that I didn't talk to you about but knew you were there if I needed to. I had wanted this tank for a long time and even so would probably have given up on it. It will be ages before it comes close to looking as good as yours and quite a few others I've seen pics of on here, but...it's on it's way And...I love it!!

 

[moonstreak2005]

What color are your squarebacks? That has to be funny to watch! lol I really like those too, but I'm thinking about getting some bartlets. Not real sure. It's really tough deciding what kind of fish to get! I really need a much much bigger tank!