This is a large and diverse family of carnivores from warm and temperate seas worldwide.  They have large, upturned mouths and continuous dorsal fin.

Basslets and Anthias are among our favorites.  These little groupers are quite rare in Hawai'i at deeper scuba depths and normally shy away from cameras.  They feed upon zooplankton at current-swept ledges, pinnacles and wrecks.  Males maintain harems of smaller, somewhat less-colorful females.  Four species most likely to be seen by divers are shown here; several more live in very deep water.

Female, Honaunau, Hawaii, 140 feet

Female, Kaumalapau, Lana'i, 130 feet

Females, Honaunau, Hawaii, 140 feet

Female, Kaumalapau, Lana'i, 130 feet

Male, Honaunau, Hawaii, 140 feet

Male, Kaumalapau, Lana'i, 130 feet

Male, Kaumalapau, Lana'i, 130 feet

Endemic to Hawaii.  Inhabits ledges and caverns deeper than 80 feet.  Related to P. ventralis.  Up tp 4 inches.  Male keeps harem of several females.  Feeds upon zooplankton close to the bottom.

Sharkfin, Lana'i, 75 feet

Juvenile, Sharks Cove, 70 feet

Sharks Cove, Oahu, 70 feet

Most common anthias in Hawaii.  Usually deeper than 60 feet along ledges and wrecks.  About 5 inches.  Hawaii, Central Pacific, west o Mauritius.

Female, Angel Ledge, Midway, 100 feet

Male, Pearl & Hermes Reef, NWHI, 40 feet

Male, Moku Manu Pinnacle, Oahu, 100 feet

Endemic to Hawaii.  Rare in less than 100 feet except at the west end of the NWHI chain.  Up to 9 inches.  Sometimes in the company of Bicolor Anthias.

Moku Manu Pinnacle, Oahu, 100 feet

Moku Manu Pinnacle, Oahu, 100 feet

An aggregating species that normally lives in very deep water.  Rarely migrates toward the surface in large numbers.  About 2 inches long.  Has purple spot at base of each caudal fin lobe.  Found at scattered locations throughout the Indo-Pacific including Hawaii.

Waikiki Aquarium

Waikiki Aquarium

Oahu, 380 feet

Waikiki Aquarium

Sea Cave, Oahu, 50 feet

Sea Cave, Oahu, 50 feet

Very shy fish that inhabits small crevices, dead coral, or rubble at scuba depths.  Attains 1.5 inch.  Oceanic islands from Cocos-Keeling & throughout Polynesia.

Female, Corsair, Midway Atoll, 110 feet

Male, Corsair, Midway Atoll, 110 feet

Endemic to Hawaii.  Inhabits reefs deeper than 100 feet in the NWHI and Midway; deeper than 300 feet in the main Hawaiian Islands.  Up to 18 inches.  Caprodon schlegelii from Japan has continuous white margin on caudal fin of females and dark blotches on the dorsal fin of males.

Female, Toba Aquarium, Japan

Male, Toba Aquarium, Japan

Endemic to Japan.  Inhabits reefs deeper than 100 feet.  Up to 16 inches.  Caprodon unicolor from Hawaii is very similar.

Male, Toba Aquarium, Japan

Maeda Point, Okinawa, 60 feet

Uncommon on ledges and walls deeper than 50 feet.  Attains 5 inches.  Indonesia to Japan, Palau, and Fiji.

Females, Wakatobi, Indonesia

Inhabits dropoffs along continental islands and shores.  Attains 5 inches.  Mauritius to Japan, Solomons, and Palau.  Has more yellow than P. pascalus found on oceanic islands.

Common along ledges and dropoffs.  Attains 6 inches.  Indo-Pacific, Red Sea to Japan and Fiji.

Male, Wakatobi, Indonesia

Female, Wakatobi, Indonesia

Juvenile, Wakatobi, Indonesia

Inhabits reef dropoffs to 100 feet.  Attains 5 inches.  Sulawesi to Philipines, Palau, GBR, & Vanuatu.

Wakatobi, Indonesia

Found on dropoffs.  Attains 4 inches.  Indonesia to Micronesia and Samoa.

Male, Wakatobi, Indonesia

Inhabits deep dropoffs.  Females are yellow with two purple stripes below.  Attains 8 inches.  Indonesia to Okinawa and Samoa.  

Found on reef dropoffs.  Attains 5 inches.  Line Islands, Cook Islands, and French Polynesia except Marquesas.

Cabo Pulmo, Baja California, Mexico, 100 feet

Inhabits dark holes along walls and ledges deeper than 80 feet.  Attains 7 inches.  Southern California to Peru and the Galapagos.

Male, Cabo Pulmo, Baja California, Mexico, 40 feet

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