CHERRY BLOSSOM BASSLET

This beautiful photo taken by Toshio Tsubota shows the cherry blossom basslet in its natural habitat off of Osezaki. It typically is not encountered on these reef slopes until you reach a depth of 30 m and is not common until you reach much greater depths.

The cherry blossom basslet (Sacura margaritacea) is a member of the family Serranidae and the subfamily Anthiinae. It is deeper-bodied member of the anthias group and have thread-like filaments that extent from the dorsal and the caudal fins (these are especially elongate in male specimens). It reaches a maximum length of about 15 cm.

The cherry blossom basslet is distributed from southern Japan to south to Taiwan. If you look at its range, you can see that it is found in more northern regions than most of the coral reef fishes we see at the local aquarium stores. I have seen many of these fish on rocky reefs off Osezaki, Japan. Here it is found at depths of 13 to over 50 m on current-prone, rocky reef slopes. It often moves among or above long whip corals or can also be found hanging under overhangs or at the mouth of caves (juveniles are more likely to be found in caves). Adults of this species are often found at depths of 40 m. It tends to occur in shoals, consisting of many females and a single male. It sometimes forms mixed groups with other anthias (e.g., elongate anthias [Pseudanthias elongatus] and the anthias [P. fasciatus]). Like other anthias, S. margaritacea feeds on zooplankton. To catch their prey, these fish move high into the water column to feed. Like other members of the subfamily, they are protogynous hermaphrodites. That is, males result from female sex change. The males are the most dominant individuals in the shoal.

The male cherry blossom basslet is a spectacular fish that is becoming more available in the aquarium trade, although it still commands a high price.

I have reliable information from Japanese aquarist (namely aquarist Hiroyuki Tanaka) and from Kevin Kohen (the fish expert and manager at liveaquaria.com - see link to right) who also has experience with Sacura, that this fish is quite hardy. It is also often seen on display in Japanese public aquariums because of its beautiful appearance, as well as its hardiness.

First thing to consider is temperature of the aquarium. As mentioned above, this fish is typically found at cooler water temperatures. At Osezaki, the summer time temperature at a depth from the surface to about 30 m is from 22 to 26 degrees Celsius. There is a sharp thermocline below 30 m, where water temperature drops to as cold as 16 C in the summer and 11 degrees Celsius in the winter! As far as aquarium temperature is concerned, S. margaritacea should be kept at 18 to 25 degrees Celsius (Japanese aquarists prefer to keep them at the lower end of this range).
All anthias should be fed frequently, as they spend most of their day in the water column picking off zooplanktors. If you find your Sacura is a bit finicky, try feeding it young livebearers (e.g., guppies, mollies) or live ghost shrimp. They will usually take foods like frozen mysid, chopped table shrimp or bite-sized pieces of marine fish flesh. Kevin tells me that a male cherry blossom basslet may become dominant over smaller fish tankmates, occasionally nudging them to assert their position in the hierarchy. But they are rarely so aggressive toward heterospecifics that they cause them harm. It will eat fish that are small enough to swallow whole. Adults should be housed in a tank of at least 135 gallons and may acclimate more readily if kept in a dimly-lit aquarium. Also, avoid placing more than one male in the same tank.

Female cherry blossom basslet. A lovely aquarium fish that does best at lower water temperatures.

This fish commands a high price for two main reasons. First of all, not that many fish are imported from Japan to the US (or any other country for that matter). They are also found at moderate depths and require special handling techniques to help avoid problems with decompression. So, unavailability and the greater time required to capture this fish means more money per fish.

©2008 Scott W. Michael

UNARMED PERCHLET (PLECTRANTHIAS INERMIS)

Do you have an unarmed perchlet in your tank yet? WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?? Photo by Scott W. Michael.

There are a number of fish species that have become quite common in the aquarium trade in the last six years. One of these, that I am most excited about, is an aberrant member of the subfamily Anthiinae. That’s right – it, and its kin (i.e., other members of the genus Plectranthias), are freaks of the subfamily. Most of the anthias spend the daylight hours in the water column, snapping up zooplanktors. But the freaky little perchlets behave more like hawkfishes (family Cirrhitidae) than their anthias relatives (so much is their likeness to a cirrhitid, that P. inermis is often sold in the aquarium hobby as the “geometric hawkfish.”) Rather than soaring about, high in the water column, they spend their time in repose on the seafloor. The are very cryptic, hiding among coral rubble or among stony coral branches during the day. These little fishes are often most active at dusk and dawn, or in dimly-lit microhabitats, like on rubble-covered cave bottoms or in the shadow of reef overhangs.

The unarmed perchlet (Plectranthias inermis) is a small fish, attaining about 5 cm in total length, that is ideal for the nano-reef aquarium. It is a threat to small ornamental shrimp (e.g., anemone shrimp), but otherwise, your prized invertebrates will be safe in the perchlet tank. It is also a threat to small gobies (e.g., Eviota, Trimma, Trimmatom). As far as its piscine neighbors are concerned, P. inermis is best housed with small, passive fish species (smaller cardinalfishes, small wrasses, blennies, dragonets, gobies, dartfishes). Its diminutive stature also means it a potential meal for large fish-eaters and a target of benthic bullies (e.g., dottybacks, hawkfishes).

There are over 40 species in the genus, many of which would make fascinating aquarium inhabitants. This is one of the most spectacular members of the genus, Pelicer's perchlet (Plectranthias pelicieri). It is rarely collected and those specimens that are go to the Japanese ornamental fish trade. Photo by Tsuyoshi Kawamoto.

More than one unarmed perchlet can be kept in a medium to large aquarium. However, males may fight (males, in general, are larger than females). Before making its approach toward a conspecific, P. inermis will raises and lower its elongated dorsal spine. If aggression escalates, the assailing perchlet will skim over the bottom as it approaches its adversary, with its tail slightly higher than its head. It undulates its tail, apparently to move itself forward, and spreads its gill covers (primarily the lower portion of the buccal area). All the fins are spread. I have noticed that as these fish grow, the pectoral fins become larger in proportion to the body size. Although studies are lacking, it is likely the Plectranthias spp. are protogynous hermaphrodites like other members of their subfamily.

The unarmed perchlet can be quite secretive, but will spend more time in the open in an aquarium that contains dither fish species such as Chromis, flasher wrasses, forktail blennies. It is prone to jumping, especially from tanks without adequate shelter and hiding places. Remember, is natural tendency is to lurk within rocky hiding places, resting at the entrance of a shelter and making a brief forays into the open. Provide it with nooks, crannies and caves.

This is the only member of the genus that I have encountered in the trade, although I continue to hunt!

Copyright (2008) Scott W. Michael

EXALTED DEEPWATER ANTHIAS!

Anthias are some of the most spectacular fishes on the reef. They are also some of the most highly sought after by aquarists. Because of their zooplankton-feeding habits, they are welcome additions to the reef aquarium (i.e., they will not bother ornamental inverts). When my book REEF FISHES VOLUME 1 was published back in 1998, I included a photo of an amazing anthias from Japan called Holanthias (Odontanthias) borbonius, known commonly as the blotchy deep anthias. (Kuiter reserves the genus Odontanthias for the Pacific species and believes that Holanthias is limited to the Atlantic.) This is a deepwater species, most often found at depths in excess of 60 m. It is well known to divers that explore the deep reefs off of the Izu Islands, Japan, but it has recently been found and collected on deep reef walls off of Bali and adjacent islands, where it apparently occurs in caves. Collecting them is very dangerous - in fact, fish collectors have died in their quest to capture these deepwater beauties.

I received three of these wonderful fishes from fellow fish-lover Kevin Kohen (you will see Kevin’s name mentioned frequently in this blog as he has consistently provided me with great fish). Kevin had three H. borbonius in his reef tank, which I was able to see a year ago. When a sudden glut of these fish appeared at Liveaquaria, Kevin sent me a trio of young H. borbonius. He selected smaller individuals because he found that as they grow, they become less social, with the larger member of the clan regularly harassing smaller conspecifics. While my Holanthias were small, there was one individual that was about ¼ a body length longer. It did not take long until this larger Holanthias began harrying its two slightly smaller kin. Now, the two subordinate fish hide most of the time. In fact all three fish are fairly shy, hiding in holes in the roof of a cave I created in my tank. But, when the smaller fish appear at feeding time, the large anthias chastises them. Because of this, I would recommend you keep a single individual, as sooner or later this fish will probably quarrel (of course, if you have a huge tank they may be able to avoid one another). Also, make sure you have plenty of suitable refuges so they will more readily acclimate.

Copyright (2008) Scott W. Michael