Anthias are natural reef dwellers in the wild, which makes them well suited for the reef aquarium. Small tanks can house only 1 or 2 but in larger reef aquariums a school of 1 male and 4 to 10 females make a brilliant display. They spend most of their time in the middle but also benefit from caves and ledges to hide. Anthias are peaceful fish and are safe with corals and other invertebrates. The males tend to have brighter or more dramatic dorsal fins. The male Squareback Anthias is red with a pink or white square patch on its sides, while the female is yellow. Anthias species all share the trait of being hermaphroditic. If a dominant male perishes, the largest female of the group will often morph to take its place. Anthias can be a challenge in coaxing them to eat and may need to be fed two or more times a day. The natural diet includes plankton and but they will adapt to a variety of diets including flake food. In a reef tank with a refugium they may not have to be fed at all.