Madder Seaperch (Dispar Anthias)

The Dispar Anthias is commonly known as the Madder Seaperch. Males have a bright red dorsal fin and lack any red stripes on their tail. The female may display a yellowish-orange on the top and pale lavender to white on the underside.

The Dispar Anthias is a reef inhabitant in the wild. It is a shallow water species that thrives best in a 125 gallon aquarium with one male and up to ten females. When housed singly, 70 gallon tank is sufficient. Anthias species all share the trait of being hermaphroditic. If a dominant male perishes, the largest female of the group will often morph to take its place.

Once acclimated to a new aquarium, anthias do best when fed a varied diet of frozen mysis shrimp, enriched frozen brine shrimp, and over time may eat high-quality flake foods offered in small quantities throughout the day. An attached refugium cultivating copepods and amphipods provides a steady supply of nutritious live food sure to keep this active planktivore content.