The splendid perches are a small family, Callanthiidae (about 14 species), of marine fishes in the order
Perciformes
Perciformes (), also called the Percomorpha or Acanthopteri, is an order or superorder of ray-finned fish. If considered a single order, they are the most numerous order of vertebrates, containing about 41% of all bony fish. Perciformes means ...
. The family is largely restricted to the Indian and Pacific Oceans; the only species found outside these regions are ''Callanthias legras'' of the southeast Atlantic, and ''C. ruber'' of the East Atlantic and
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...
. These brightly coloured fishes are found in relatively deep waters; some species of ''Callanthias'' are the only to occur at depths within reach in normal
scuba diving
Scuba diving is a mode of underwater diving whereby divers use breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface air supply. The name "scuba", an acronym for "Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus", was coined by Chris ...
. As suggested by the scientific name Call
anthiidae, they show some resemblance to
anthias
Anthias are members of the family Serranidae and make up the subfamily Anthiinae. Anthias make up a sizeable portion of the population of pink, orange, and yellow reef fishes seen swarming in most coral reef photography and film. The name Anthi ...
(subfamily Anthiinae, family Serranidae).
References
{{Percoidea-stub