Pseudanthias cooperi is often misidentified as Pseudanthias taeniatus Klunzinger, a Red Sea species, and P. kashiwae Tanaka is a synonym of it. This species is a popular aquarium fish.
Details
§ 01
size
Max. 15 cm
color
Dorsal pink becoming yellow on lower sides. Dorsal spines and anterior rays pinkish. Caudal fin of females deeply emarginate and lobe tips bright red and in males caudal fin lunate and red with narrow lavender upper and lower margins and a short red bar on side of the body. No violet lines above.
This species is found on coral reefs down to a depth of 60 meters, where it feeds on zooplankton.
distinctive characters
This fish has a dorsal fin with 10 spines and 15-17 rays, an anal fin with 3 spines and 7-8 rays, 18-20 pectoral rays, a body depth of 2.8-3.3 in standard length, and a compressed and elongated body with the base of the caudal and pectoral fins covered in scales.