Bartlett's Imposter

[Europhyllia]

A while ago I decided to increase my anthias harem and added a couple of females.
One looked strange and I was worried it was transforming into a male.
Every once in awhile my big male would slightly chase it but nothing serious. Weird enough they would get along during the day fine and then a little chase right before lights out?
Then I looked closer and noticed the anthias sure looked different in color from my female Bartlett's but ... it also looked different from my male Bartlett.

All of my Bartlett's have a yellow top fin but this one has a hot pink top fin.
The eye liner is also much more noticeable.

Overall the group schools well together. The male sort of leaves and rejoincs, the girls stick together.

So I am wondering maybe that brightly colored female isn't a Bartlett's at all.

Does it look like a Dispar by chance? Would a lone Dispar just join a Bartlett's harem so easily?
http://www.dominopads.com/anthiasjaw.jpg

You can see the bright pink male to the left and a lot of yellow top females all around. Then there's the fuschia top one with the eye liner in the middle...

just a weird color morph?

[Reefer4ever]

I do not know. :(

But they look great! :D

[tebstan]

I don't know either... but the jawfish appear to be wondering as well. :)

I've seen different-but-similar-looking fish school together before. Why be lonely if you don't have to?

Is it old enough to be considered fully developed? When I did a quick search of the dispar anthias it said the male gets the pink dorsal. Would the Bartlett male tolerate that?

[Europhyllia]

I think as far as anthias go the Bartlett's are pretty tolerant. Like I said initially I thought it was turning into a male (Bartlett's) because there is some mild aggression from the big male but in the end they all end up schooling together and getting along again so it's not that 'I'm going to kill you' kind of aggression where one fish ends up hiding in the rocks and starving.
I did notice that the pink-fin likes to swim higher up than the others but then it rejoins the others.

Yes those jawfsh think everything is their business. Always checking out stuff... lol

[Kristy]

First and foremost, BEAUTIFUL photo, Karin!

My theory: this one has some transgender issues, using the extra eye makeup to catch everyone's attention. :)
(Seriously, though, I have NO idea.)

[BSJF]

Karin, Barletts are collected from a few different places and one is a brighter color that the other variety. Most likely the odd one was collected from a different location.

Native range:

South Pacific
Christmas Island

I think the Christmas Island is the one that is more colorful. I've had both varieties. Usually they charge more for the Christmas Island variety.

[Europhyllia]

I guess that's the most likely explanation then. These were supposed to be all from Hawaii though.
But maybe if there is variation in different locations it can also pop up just as a fluke?

[BSJF]

Don't really know. Maybe that is your dominant female?

The one with the pink top fin is what my Christmas Island female looked like.

[alton]

After studying your picture for a couple of days I think you are correct the two at the bottom left are imposters?

[Europhyllia]

lol
Yes they are :)

[Europhyllia]

Here's a little update:

the other Bartlett's grew up to be large regular sized Bartlett's while the pink fin one stayed noticably smaller. He now only schools with them during feeding time and hides in the rock work the rest of the time.

I had the pleasure of hanging out at Lorraine's last weekend for a few hours and finally found a match for the little pink fin Bartlett. He looks different from my Bartletts but he is a 100% match for Lorraine's Dispar Anthias.

If I threw him in with Lorraine's I would be unable to tell which one is mine, it's that close.

So how to coax him out? Get him some Dispar friends and hope they all will get along?

[dipan]

Pseudanthias ignitus (flame anthias)?

Wetwebmedia (http://www.wetwebmedia.com/anthiIDfaqs.htm)
Liveaquaria (http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+20+2703&pcatid=2703)

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BassPIX/Anthiines/Ignitus_Anthias_small.jpg

[Europhyllia]

I hope not. lol

I ordered Dispars!

And I am already regretting it. :(

Now I have 5 Bartletts in one group, the three new Dispars in another group, and the lone Dispar male is still hiding because the Bartlett male hates him

It's like an Anthias reef now. Good thing I got that wide open center for the jawfish (open sand space).

Time will tell but right now it's not that promising. Boo :(

[justahobby]

Uh-oh..... hope it works out. Let's get a couple snap shots now in case they do beat each other up.

[Kristy]

It's like an Anthias reef now. :(

You say that like it's a bad thing! Give them a little time. Hopefully he will find his new friends and be encouraged by safety in numbers. "One is the loneliest number that you ever knew...."

[Europhyllia]

There's 4 dispars out now! Lonely boy has found his friends.

Big meany Bart is taking it easy on him ... for now at least. Guess he's a little confused by so many little pink-fins.

The new anthias that arrived this morning are already participating in the hunt for food so that's a good sign. Hopefully it will all turn out okay.

NINE anthias in a 215g tank do look pretty neat :)

Wish me luck. It would be too easy if that was the solution to lonely boy's dilemma.

[Kristy]

:thumbs_up:Yay!!!:applause:

[Europhyllia]

Like I said: it would be too easy... lol
Lonely boy and one of the 'female' Dispars are flashing at each other. Guess in the new batch of 3 females I really got 2 girls and 1 boy. Go figure...

[Kristy]

Hopefully they wil work it out to be one male and one alpha female. Stranger things have been known to happen!

[Europhyllia]

Yeah, at least all of them are out in the open and eating which definitely beats hiding in a rock all day. It was the best thing I could do for him considering I couldn't get him out to rehome him, etc.
He's more confident (happy?) now so it's better than it was before. :)

[Europhyllia]

here you go Justin:
215 gallon Caribbean Inspired ANTHIAS Reef:
http://www.dominopads.com/anthiasreef.jpg

[Europhyllia]

seems like it's all worked out! I am so happy.
The 4 little Dispars are getting along and even Bart, the Bartlett Male is less aggressive towards Pink Fin since there's now so many. In fact the two groups sometimes even mingle for awhile.
Whew. Got lucky on this one.
After dipar posted the pic of the Ignitus I was questioning whether I had picked the right kind. Luckily they matched up.

Best part is even though I bought a 'spare' they all are thriving and eating and adjusted right away. It's amazing. I don't know why I ever thought Anthias were tough to keep?

[ErikH]

I like that FTS! :D