Pseudanthias charlenaeis a spanking new anthias to hit the reef scene. First discovered in Cenderawasih Bay,p . charlenaehas been reported to have been trickling into the aquarium trade in small amounts. Although most reports of them hitting aquarium stores were described as an anthias with strong emphasis of a mid-body bar, no real confirmation or photos have been documented. This is perhaps one of the first few photos ofp . charlenaebeing offered for sale and in an aquarium.
The shape of the fish and the presence of the mid-body bar is a homage to similar species likeP. leucozonusandP. carlsoni. Although originally described in Western New Guinea, these Charlene’s anthias are being caught from the Indonesian islands, such as Bali. Not much is known about their geographical range in the wild, and it could very well extend into parts of Indonesia and perhaps the Philippines as well. We have seen pairs ofp . charlenaebeing offered for sale withP. pleurotaeniafrom Bali shipments as well.
We do hope to see more of these unique and beautiful anthias offered for sale. The fact that these are coming out of Indonesia probably means that we will be seeing more of them soon, and at rather reasonable prices.
