Purple Queen Anthias

Mirolabrichthys tuka

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Anthiadidae
Genus: Mirolabrichthys
Species: Mirolabrichthys tuka

The purple queen anthias (Mirolabrichthys tuka), long known as Pseudanthias tuka, is a vivid purple anthias; females have a yellow stripe along the back, and males have a purple patch on the dorsal fin and a longer snout.

It grows to about 12 cm and lives in shoals above the reef, often on slopes and walls swept by current, where it feeds on plankton. Like other anthias, groups are made up of many females and a few males.

The purple queen anthias is found in the western Pacific, including the Philippines, where its purple shoals are a highlight of current-swept reefs.