Fish ID help. Fish found in sump, never seen before

[malfist]

Hi all,

Weird situation. Was doing aquarium maintenance and was getting ready to drain the sump to clean it of aptasia and found a fish in the sump. A fish I've never seen before, an fish I never added to the aquarium. It's in the fuge hiding under the sea lettuce. Can someone help me identify it? I wonder if an egg managed to survive in the fuge some how.

It's about 2 inches long

 

[Jdadams]

Some type of anthias it looks like.

 

[jmichaelh7]

Looks like a anthias … I’d name it lucky

 

[malfist]

We bought some lyretail anthias over a year ago but they didn't make it.

Now that you say it, it does look like an anthias, but doesn't look like one of the ones we bought, even if it transitioned genders.

Any idea what type of anthias?

 

[Jdadams]

I’m going with a lyretail and It’s colors aren’t there because it’s living in the dark. Could be wrong, I’m no anthias expert

 

[i cant think]

We bought some lyretail anthias over a year ago but they didn't make it.

Now that you say it, it does look like an anthias, but doesn't look like one of the ones we bought, even if it transitioned genders.

Any idea what type of anthias?

From the facial markings maybe a VERY young female lyretail, and as said above its colours are washed out but most likely not from being in the dark (Although, it may be used to living in the dark so I recommend slowly acclimating it to your lighting) but more from age

 

[malfist]

It's in the fuge, and there's a 40 watt kessle illuminating it. Don't know that that is that dark in there, though it is hanging out under a mat of sea lettuce.

So the question is do I move it to the display tank? Or let it get a bit older and then move it? The display has some fairly active fish, worried it'd be stressed in there, though it is a 320 gallon.

 

[i cant think]

It's in the fuge, and there's a 40 watt kessle illuminating it. Don't know that that is that dark in there, though it is hanging out under a mat of sea lettuce.

So the question is do I move it to the display tank? Or let it get a bit older and then move it? The display has some fairly active fish, worried it'd be stressed in there, though it is a 320 gallon.

I would get it in a grow out tank (That mat of sea lettuce will be blocking 99% of the light so, try get a mat growing on the grow out tank) and wait till it’s Atleast half its max size then introduce it into the big display with an acclimation box.

 

[ariellemermaid]

I’ve seen some lyretail anthia pictures where immature females look pretty yellow. It looks like this fish is developing a little red patch behind the eye. The story would be coolest if it’s offspring from the dead fish, but of course it’s also possible you picked up a different tiny immature anthia in any order of fish but never noticed it. Either way, awesome find.

I don’t know what the development of lyretails looks like but if you can find that, it could be informative. In other words if this fish is 1-2 months old based on development but your last anthia died 6 months ago, that wouldn’t fit, so probably a different anthia. Clowns for instance have full coloration and are hearty enough to sell by about 30 days from what I’ve read.

 

[malfist]

I’ve seen some lyretail anthia pictures where immature females look pretty yellow. It looks like this fish is developing a little red patch behind the eye. The story would be coolest if it’s offspring from the dead fish, but of course it’s also possible you picked up a different tiny immature anthia in any order of fish but never noticed it. Either way, awesome find.

I don’t know what the development of lyretails looks like but if you can find that, it could be informative. In other words if this fish is 1-2 months old based on development but your last anthia died 6 months ago, that wouldn’t fit, so probably a different anthia. Clowns for instance have full coloration and are hearty enough to sell by about 30 days from what I’ve read.

Think it could have came in as hitchhiker? We added the sea lettuce at the end of June and that was probably the latest addition. We got it from algae barn. That fits with the timeline better

 

[Jdadams]

Anthias can be jumpers. What’s your overflow and the drain to your sump like? I’ve only ever had dispar anthias and one jumped into the back overflow and one jumped out of the tank.

 

[malfist]

Anthias can be jumpers. What’s your overflow and the drain to your sump like? I’ve only ever had dispar anthias and one jumped into the back overflow and one jumped out of the tank.

One central overflow with two dursos. The weir goes up to the screen though. Not impossible to get through but dang close

 

[Jdadams]

One central overflow with two dursos. The weir goes up to the screen though. Not impossible to get through but dang close

Hmm. Did you have a male in the original bunch you bought a year ago?

 

[James_O]

That’s crazy! Wondering how it’s possible that it’s in there, especially if the others didn’t make it.

 

[ariellemermaid]

Think it could have came in as hitchhiker? We added the sea lettuce at the end of June and that was probably the latest addition. We got it from algae barn. That fits with the timeline better

From what I know about algae barn they’re OCD about keeping “clean” algae free from pests and I’m sure in fishless systems. In fact I don’t think they breed or raise fish at all; the fish they sell ships directly from Biota. So probably not from algae barn. And, if that’s the only thing you’ve added in 4-5 months and the last anthia died before that, then I would say the time between the last anthia dying and the last thing you added before the algae barn order is probably this fish’s minimum age. But, I can’t find a single source documenting lyretails at different ages.

This guy’s is very yellow:

I got this Anthias fish 2 weeks ago, I forgot what kind it was

Its kinda yellow sometime i would say orange, nice looking. if anyone knows or a link would be great. thanks.

www.reef2reef.com

I guess no matter what we know this fish is immature. It’s small, has a feint line behind the eye and a small red splotch that aren’t completely developed yet. So given how infrequently you’ve added things to the tank, and the fact that in the past year you had multiple lyretails, it sounds like the simplest and most logical conclusion is that you have a baby lyretail!

 

[malfist]

From what I know about algae barn they’re OCD about keeping “clean” algae free from pests and I’m sure in fishless systems. In fact I don’t think they breed or raise fish at all; the fish they sell ships directly from Biota. So probably not from algae barn. And, if that’s the only thing you’ve added in 4-5 months and the last anthia died before that, then I would say the time between the last anthia dying and the last thing you added before the algae barn order is probably this fish’s minimum age. But, I can’t find a single source documenting lyretails at different ages.

This guy’s is very yellow:

I got this Anthias fish 2 weeks ago, I forgot what kind it was

Its kinda yellow sometime i would say orange, nice looking. if anyone knows or a link would be great. thanks.

www.reef2reef.com

I guess no matter what we know this fish is immature. It’s small, has a feint line behind the eye and a small red splotch that aren’t completely developed yet. So given how infrequently you’ve added things to the tank, and the fact that in the past year you had multiple lyretails, it sounds like the simplest and most logical conclusion is that you have a baby lyretail!

I guess that's the only explanation. We had a school of seven. One male (or maybe one female, whichever is the correct ratio). We got them last December and they all died off in about two months except the one odd gender. It lasted until June or July. Never had much luck with anthius, everything else survives

 

[Jdadams]

I doubt this fish is from an egg. If the orginal fish weren’t able to thrive and be healthy then they wouldn’t breed if conditions weren’t right. It’s a female, so it’ll probably max out at around 3” anyway.

 

[ariellemermaid]

One central overflow with two dursos. The weir goes up to the screen though. Not impossible to get through but dang close

We can solve the purchased fish jumping idea with a simple question…. Does this look like any anthia you purchased (size + coloring)? Based on the OP, it sounds like no. Otherwise and I think most likely, this is an immature fish you didn’t purchase in which case it probably came in as a little tadpole fry is or hatched in the tank as such. Fry can fit through just about any opening, it’s why people use bubblers rather than suction or overflow filters on breeding tanks. In some ways refugiums technically have the right ingredients to raise fry; copepods and rotifers, light diffused by the algae mat, protection from fish predators, etc.

I guess that's the only explanation. We had a school of seven. One male (or maybe one female, whichever is the correct ratio). We got them last December and they all died off in about two months except the one odd gender. It lasted until June or July. Never had much luck with anthius, everything else survives

Strange you had no luck while everything else in the tank is doing fine. They could have fought each other to death, but you should have ended up with 1-2 not zero. Maybe they were picked on by other fish in the tank?

 

[Jdadams]

https://www.reef2rainforest.com/2020/03/06/ora-tests-the-waters-of-commercial-anthias-breeding/

that is a baby lyretail anthias. So we can’t go based on coloration anymore

 

[i cant think]

https://www.reef2rainforest.com/2020/03/06/ora-tests-the-waters-of-commercial-anthias-breeding/

that is a baby lyretail anthias. So we can’t go based on coloration anymore

Honestly, I would still say it’s a lyretail