Sea Goldie

Pseudanthias squamipinnis

Habitat & Distribution : Indo-Pacific Ocean

Diet : Zooplankton

Size : 15 cm 

Lifespan: 3 - 5 years

Description

Sea goldie have a different body colour between males and females, females have an orange / gold colour with a violet line behind the eyes and males have a purplish body colour with red patches on their pectoral fins and an elongated 3rd dorsal fin. However both males and females are characterized by the same vivid blue eyes.

Behavior

Sea goldies are small, highly social, and active planktivores that live in large, structured, haremic groups on coral reefs. They are diurnal, active during the day, and protogynous hermaphrodites, where a dominant male guards a harem of females. When the male dies, the dominant female turns into a male.

Reproduction

Protogynous hermaphrodites, meaning they are all born female and can change sex to male. They live in harems with one dominant male and 5–10 females, spawning nightly at sunset, typically between December and February

Communication & Perception

They communicate and organize their social lives through a combination of strict sexual hierarchy, visual displays, and color-coded signals.

Predator(s)

Snappers, lionfish, groupers, moray eels