Animal Species:Mirror Basslet, Pseudanthias pleurotaenia (Bleeker, 1857)

Male Mirror Basslets can be recognised by the violet-coloured square on the side of the body and the long third dorsal fin spine.

Male Mirror Basslet at North Ambae

Male Mirror Basslet at North Ambae
Erik Schlögl © Erik Schlögl

Alternative Name/s

Blotched Fairy Basslet, Squarespot Anthias

Identification

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.

Size range

The species grows to about 20 cm in length.

Distribution

The species occurs in coral reef and inshore tropical waters of the East Indian to Central Pacific Oceans. In Australia the Mirror Basslet is known from the offshore islands of north-western Western Australia and north-eastern Queensland.

The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums.  Source: Atlas of Living Australia.

Pseudanthias pleurotaenia

Distribution by collection data

Ozcam map of Mirror Basslet specimens in the Australian Museums.

What does this mean?

Habitat

The species is usually seen at depths greater than 20 m.

Classification

Species:
pleurotaenia
Genus:
Pseudanthias
Family:
Serranidae
Order:
Perciformes
Class:
Actinopterygii
Subphylum:
Vertebrata
Phylum:
Chordata
Kingdom:
Animalia

What does this mean?

References

  1. Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
  2. 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.
  3. Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
  4. Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.

 


Mark McGrouther , Collection Manager, Ichthyology
Last Updated:

Tags Fishes, Ichthyology, Mirror Basslet, Pseudanthias pleurotaenia, Serranidae, Blotched Fairy Basslet, Squarespot Anthias, violet-coloured square, yellow, orange, stripes or bands, 10 cm - 30 cm, inshore water, tropical water,