Fishes Suitable for the Invertebrate Aquarium
Part 3: The Caribbean Basslets
by J. Charles Delbeek, M.Sc.

Last issue I wrote about the Dwarf Basslets of the Indo-Pacific, in
which I mentioned that no Pseudochromidae were found in the
Caribbean. In this article I will describe some of the species of the
Grammidae family from the Caribbean, which are very similar in
appearance and colouration to the Dwarf Basslets. There are three
genus' in the family; the Liopropoma which contain the Swissguard and
Candystripe Basslets, the Gramma which contain the familiar Royal
Gramma; and the Lipogramma which contain several small, rare species
(Thresher, 1980).

Liopropoma
There are five species in this genus and they can easily be
distinguished by their colour patterns. Three of the species have
horizontal stripes; Liopropoma rubre, L. carmabi and L. eukrines,
while L. mowbrayi and L. aberrans do not (Thresher, 1980).

Liopropoma rubre (the Swissguard Basslet) and L. carmabi (the Candy Stripe
Basslet) are very similar in appearance. Both have numerous
horizontal stripes with black spots on the anal, dorsal and caudal
fins. The stripes in L. rubre are alternately yellow-orange and red
with a brownish-yellow base colour, while those of L. carmabi are
more colorful ranging from blue to pink on an orange background
(Dekker, 1987; Thresher, 1980). The black spots on the fins of L.
carmabi are ringed in blue, while those of L. rubre can be in some
individuals. Another way to distinguish between the two is by body
shape and size. Liopropoma rubre has a more pointed snout and reaches
a maximum length of 9 cm whereas L. carmabi has a blunter head and
only reaches a length of 5 cm (Dekker 1987). These two species differ
also in their habitat and behaviour. Liopropoma rubre can be found in
depths ranging from 5 20 meters while L. carmabi does not begin to
appear until at least 20 meters (Thresher, 1980). In addition, L.
carmabi appears to be a solitary fish, often found hiding under rocks
or in sand tunnels, whereas L. rubre can often be seen in groups of 6
or more, or solitarily (Dekker, 1987). both fish can be found
throughout the Caribbean. Liopropoma eukrines (the Wrasse Basslet) has
only a single black lateral strip running along its body, flanked by
thin yellow band on a rose coloured background (Thresher, 1980). It
is a much deeper occurring fish being most common below 40 meters, it
also has a more restricted range being found only along the coasts of
America and Mexico (Thresher, 1980). Liopropoma mowbrayi (the Ridgeback
Basslet), is red-purple in colour with a yellow line running through
the head and ringed black spots on the unpaired fins. This species is
usually found along coral reef drop-offs and can be quite common
starting from 10 meters and deeper (Thresher, 1980). The reason it is
commonly called the Ridgeback Basslet is because of a thickened ridge
which lies between the dorsal fins. The final species of Liopropoma,
L. aberrans, is a rarely seen species and is typically found at
depths of 100 metres or more. It is red in colour with bright yellow
fins and spots on its body (Thresher, 1980).

Liopropoma in the Aquarium
All the species described so far can be classified as being shy,
retiring fish, however, if they are kept in aquariums with numerous
suitable hiding places and peaceful coinhabitants, they will be come
more bold and show themselves more often. Both Thresher (1980) and
Dekker (1987) report that these fish are extremely sensitive to
decreases in dissolved oxygen and are usually the first to succumb to
low levels. Once the fish has become relaxed in your aquarium, which
may take up to a week, they will show themselves regularly. To ensure
that they remain happy be sure to provide numerous hiding places and
overhangs, under which they can take up residence. Today's miniature
reef systems with their abundance of live rock and more efficient
trickle filters should prove to be a boon in keeping these peaceful
and hardy fish. In nature they feed on small planktonic organisms and
will feed on Mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, frozen plankton and even dry
foods in the aquarium (Dekker, 1987). These fish are bound to be
expensive due to the time and effort that goes into collecting and
decompressing them. Because they must undergo decompression be sure
to check the swimming behaviour of any prospective specimen before
you buy it, it should be swimming level and ought to be able to
maintain its position in the water column with very little effort.

Gramma
There are three species currently included in this genus, Gramma
loreto (the Royal Gramma), Gramma melacara (the Blackcap Basslet) and Gramma
linki (the Dusky Gramma). The Royal Gramma is without a doubt the best
known and one of the most popular species in the hobby, and for good
reason; few fish can match it for colour and hardiness. The fish is
basically purple and yellow; the anterior half of the fish is purple
and the posterior is yellow, a black stripe extends diagonally
through the eye and a black spot is located on the dorsal fin. The
Royal Gramma can be found in water ranging in depth from 4 metres to
30 metres but is more common in the deeper areas (Thresher, 1980).
They tend to live in colonies but do not exhibit a great deal of
aggression between individuals. In the wild they are fond of swimming
upside-down under coral ledges and a suitable substitute should be
provided in the aquarium. The Royal Gramma reaches a maximum length
of 10 cm. The Blackcap Basslet is another beautiful fish, however,
due to its deeper habitat (30 90 metres) it is not commonly seen in
the aquarium. It is basically a purple fish, 10 15 cm long, with a
black patch extending across the head from the tip of the mouth onto
the dorsal fin. The third species, the Dusky Gramma, is uniformly
blue-green with yellow rings around the eyes and yellow lines on the
gill covers; it is a deep-water species (90 metres) and is rarely
collected (Thresher, 1980).

Gramma in the Aquarium
The Royal Gramma is one of the hardiest fish for the aquarium and
will accept a wide range of foods. They can be kept in groups in
large aquariums and will constantly be in the open if they have a
number of suitable hiding places available to them. Thresher (1980)
reports that these fish will often pale in colour after a while in
captivity and do not come close to the colour intensity of fish
encountered on the reef. Perhaps this is due to diet, decreased
dissolved oxygen levels or high light intensity. Since the Grammas
are predominantly deep-water fish, the increased light levels in
shallow aquariums may be a factor (?). Blackcap Basslets are more
secretive fish and must have a suitable number of hiding places
available. They should also not be kept with large active fish. These
two species hold the possibility of being breed by the home aquarist.
The Royal Gramma builds a nest in the rocks using pieces of algae.
The male then leads the female into the nest and several (20 100)
small eggs (1 mm) are laid amongst the strands. This behaviour is
repeated almost daily over a period of a month or more. The eggs have
small protuberances covering their surface from which small threads
extend. These threads attach the eggs to the algae and make them
difficult to remove (Moe, 1982). The eggs hatch in 5 7 days and
usually a few hours after dusk (Moe, 1982). Once collected, the fry
can be feed on rotifers until they are larger enough to accept live
baby brine shrimp and will grow quite quickly (Moe, 1982). Again,
since these fish are regularly collected from areas where
decompression may be required, be sure to carefully check-out a
specimens swimming behaviour; a damaged swim bladder will not heal.

Lipogramma
There are six species within this genus but only 2 of them may be
available to the hobbyist; Lipogramma klayi (the Bicolour Basslet) and L.
trilineata (the Threeline Basslet). The Bicolour Basslet is a deep water
species (50 metres) that has been collected in the past. It is
similar in colouration to the Royal Gramma but is smaller in size and
lacks the black markings on the fins (Thresher, 1980). The Threeline
Basslet is a small fish, 3 6 cm, which is widely distributed
throughout the Caribbean and occurs in relatively shallow waters (8
meters) but is not common until greater depths (20 30 metres)
(Thresher, 1980). It is a rather pretty fish being yellow anteriorly
and dusky gray posteriorly, with three parallel electric blue lines
extending from the tip of the snout to the mid-back (Thresher, 1980).

Lipogramma in the Aquarium
Both species do well in the aquarium but are much shier, at first,
than the Gramma. Once acclimated to the tank and their tankmates,
they will show themselves more frequently, eventually spending a
great deal of time in the open (Thresher, 1980). Lipogramma klayi
tend to be aggressive among themselves and should not be kept in
large groups in small aquariums (Thresher, 1980). Being planktonic
feeders, they will eat almost anything and are quite hardy.
Lipogramma trilineata has also exhibited nest building behaviour
similar to the Royal Gramma so could also be a target for potential
breeding efforts (Thresher, 1980). As Thresher (1980) points out, the
similarities between the various species of Gramma and Lipogramma may
indicate that they all breed in a similar way.

References
Dekker, L.N. 1987. Bewust Kiezen een serie praktische aquariumtips/7.
Het Zee-Aqurium 37 (7/8):152 157.

Moe, M.A. Jr. 1982. The Marine Aquarium Handbook: Beginner to
Breeder. Green Turtle Publ., Planation, FL.

Thresher, R.E. 1980. Reef Fishes: Behaviour and Ecology on the Reef
and in the Aquarium. The Palmetto Publ. Co., St. Petersburg, FL.