General Information Anthiases, Basslets, & Dottybacks can be found on tropical reefs worldwide. They are usually very colorful, resemble their larger cousins, (the Groupers) in appearance, and often do not grow larger than a few inches. This makes most species excellent aquarium fish. Basslets and Dottybacks typically live in caves or sheltered areas of the reef and some species are observed alone or in pairs hanging upside down beneath ledges. Anthiases, on the other hand, can be found in massive schools above the crests of shallow reefs or along the ledges of deep-water reefs in much of the Indo-Pacific Region.