Basslet

The basslets are a small family, Grammatidae, of fishes in the order Perciformes. The twelve members (in two genera) are all small fish of the western Atlantic, typically no more than 10 cm in length. Several species are colorful and popular for marine aquaria. They can also change their gender.

Distinctive features include a lateral line divided into two subsegments or missing entirely, and a sizeable pectoral fin with one spine.

A number of other species may be called "basslets", in particular members of Serranidae, where they may be called "fairy basslets."

Species

There are thirteen species in two genera:

• Genus Gramma
  • Brazilian basslet, Gramma brasiliensis Sazima, Gasparini & Moura, 1998.
  • Gramma dejongi Victor & Randall, 2010.^[1]
  • Yellowlined basslet, Gramma linki Starck & Colin, 1978.
  • Royal gramma, Gramma loreto Poey, 1868.
  • Blackcap basslet, Gramma melacara Böhlke & Randall, 1963.
• Genus Lipogramma
  • Dusky basslet, Lipogramma anabantoides Böhlke, 1960.
  • Banded basslet, Lipogramma evides Robins & Colin, 1979.
  • Yellow basslet, Lipogramma flavescens Gilmore & Jones, 1988.
  • Bicolor basslet, Lipogramma klayi Randall, 1963.
  • Royal basslet, Lipogramma regium Robins & Colin, 1979.
  • Yellowbar basslet, Lipogramma robinsi Gilmore, 1997.
  • Rosy basslet, Lipogramma roseum Gilbert, 1979.
  • Threeline basslet, Lipogramma trilineatum Randall, 1963.

Diet and Habitat

Living in coral environment, bsasslets are considered carnivorous fish. They will consume meaty foods such as fish, squid, and mysid shrimp.

Behavior

The basslet is an aggressive and territorial fish. In an aquarium setting, it is ill advised to keep more than one male in a single enclosure.

References

• Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2005). "Grammatidae" in FishBase. November 2005 version.

• Veterinary & Aquatic Services Department, Drs. Foster & Smith, Inc.. "Blue Assessor Basslet". Animal Planet. http://animal.discovery.com/guides/fish/marine/bluebass.html. Retrieved 2011-01-10.