Cooperi Anthias

Overview

The Cooperi Anthias is a small, slender planktivorous fish with a pale golden-orange body and delicate finnage, popular for adding constant colour and activity to the upper water column of a reef tank. Unlike many of the larger, more commonly kept anthias, this species is naturally more compact and better suited to smaller groups.

Like other anthias, it does best kept in a small group rather than as a single individual, as they are naturally social, shoaling fish in the wild and tend to show their best colour and least stress-related behaviour in a group setting.

It requires frequent feeding of small meaty foods throughout the day to maintain body condition, since it has a fast metabolism and doesn't cope well with infrequent feeding schedules.

Compatibility

Cooperi Anthias are peaceful and reef safe, ignoring corals and invertebrates entirely. They do best kept in a group of one male with several females, and can be housed with other peaceful reef fish without issue, though very boisterous or aggressive tankmates can outcompete them for food.

Multiple males in a small tank may show aggression toward each other, so stocking ratios matter if keeping a group.

Health & quarantine

Anthias generally have a reputation for being sensitive to sudden changes in water quality and can decline quickly if underfed, so a stable, mature tank and consistent feeding schedule are essential. A minimum two-to-four-week quarantine with careful feeding monitoring is recommended, and new arrivals should be watched closely to confirm they're eating well within the first few days.