Holy Heck! Meganthias?!

[WheatToast]

From what I could gather, Meganthias live in relatively deep, cold water, but could you image setting up a temperate reef for one of these fish?!
Edit: Yes, these really are gargantuan Anthias of the subfamily Anthiinae.
Meganthias grow to 20-40 cm (7.9-15.7 in) SL.

 

[Slocke]

From what I could gather, Meganthias live in relatively deep, cold water, but could you image setting up a temperate reef for one of these fish?!
Meganthias grow to 20-40 cm (7.9-15.7 in) SL.

That fish is much longer then 15”??

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Meganthias is a very fitting name - they look like giant anthias; beautiful and incredibly rare fish!

 

[WheatToast]

That fish is much longer then 15”??

I am no expert in fish measurement, but, to my knowledge, SL (used in the resources on Meganthias I found) measures the length of a fish's body from the tip of its snout to "the posterior end of the last vertebra or to the posterior end of the midlateral portion of the hypural plate." On the other hand, TL includes the fish's caudal fin.

 

[WheatToast]

Meganthias is a very fitting name - they look like giant anthias; beautiful and incredibly rare fish!

They are giant Anthias (Anthiinae)...
... but giant might be an understatement

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

They are giant Anthias (Anthiinae)...
... and giant is definitely an understatement

Haha, whoops - forgot Anthias were Serranids; I was thinking specifically like giant lyretail anthias though.

Super cool fish (and a very lucky fisherman)!

 

[Slocke]

I am no expert in fish measurement, but, to my knowledge, SL (used in the resources on Meganthias I found) measures the length of a fish's body from the tip of its snout to "the posterior end of the last vertebra or to the posterior end of the midlateral portion of the hypural plate." On the other hand, TL includes the fish's caudal fin.

Even then and accounting for perspective (I mean look at the guys right hand). It looks much bigger but since it is a truly rare fish the max size could be well off from lack of data.

 

[Court_Appointed_Hypeman]

That fish is much longer then 15”??

Its a smol guy holding it

 

[Court_Appointed_Hypeman]

Even then and accounting for perspective (I mean look at the guys right hand). It looks much bigger but since it is a truly rare fish the max size could be well off from lack of data.

Idk, if he's enough of an angler to end up catching one of these, he's probably a massive pro at making a mountain out of a minnow in his catch photos.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

From what I could gather, Meganthias live in relatively deep, cold water, but could you image setting up a temperate reef for one of these fish?!
Edit: Yes, these really are gargantuan Anthias of the subfamily Anthiinae.
Meganthias grow to 20-40 cm (7.9-15.7 in) SL.

That is one big fish