Common Name: Red Basslet

Distribution: Rare in the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific region, from East Africa to Samoa and the Line Islands, north to southern Japan, south to Australia. In Australia recorded from the tropical north of the continent, from Shark Bay in Western Australia, and on the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland. 

Ecological Notes: Frequent open substrate with areas of low reef and scattered bommies, adults often deep, over 20 m, while juveniles may be shallower.

Additional Notes: Often in loose aggregations along current swept dropoffs feeding on zooplankton in the water column. Males develop an incomplete crimson vertical bar along the middle of the side when mature. Immatures and females similar to Pseudanthias squamipinnis, but distinguished by red tips on the caudal fin and pale stripe under eye from jaw to operculum. Juvenile approximately 50 mm in length pictured here. Grows to 12 cm.

References: John E. Randall, Gerald R. Allen, Roger C. Steene, Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea, 2nd Edition, 1997. Published by Crawford House Publishing Pty Ltd. p.91.

Atlas of Living Australia website at https://bie.ala.org.au//search?q=Pseudanthias+cooperi. Accessed 01/06/18.

FishBase. Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2018. World Wide Web electronic publication. https://fishbase.ca/summary/pseudanthias-cooperi.html. Accessed 01/06/18.