Basslets

• Blackcap Basslet
• Candy Basslet
• Swalesi Basslet
• Swissguard Basslet
• Royal Gramma

Basslets are small, carnivorous marine aquarium fish that are very well represented in the hobby. The vast majority of them are between two to four inches in length and come in a wide variety of colors. They are all strictly carvnivores and are usually some of the easiest fish to feed in the aquarium. They are found in a variety of depths and are usually associated in habitats that have plenty of caves.

Basslets hail from a variety of families and genera. Some of the more popular basslets in the hobby come from the genus Liopropoma, Gramma and Serranus.

The most popular among them is undoubtedly the Royal Gramma. Not to be confused with the bicolor dottyback. Fishes from the genus Liopropoma are some of the most sought after marine fishes in the hobby and can fetch upwards of $600 for rare deepwater species such as the stunning candy basslet.

All basslets are considered very hardy specimens that fare very well in captivity. Due to their diet, smaller fish and invertebrates are not safe around them. Shrimp to avoid include sexy shrimp, small pistol shrimp such as the randall's pistol shrimp and any marine aquarium fish that is small enough to fit into their mouths. While they can be trained to eat dry foods such as pellets or flakes, they tend to accept frozen foods much faster. As such, some of the most popular food for the basslets include common frozen foods such as frozen mysis shrimp, krill and various seafood mixes such as prime reef.

In the wild, they are found singly or living in pairs. They are commonly found living in or around live rock that offers them plenty of hiding places. Such a rockscape should be reflected in captivity if you intend to keep these beautiful fish.

For the most part, most of the common basslets have not been bred in activity. The common Royal Gramma sees the most attempts but due to its low price, such activities have not garnered much interest from private breeders or large scale breeders. The one genera that is worth looking into is Liopropoma as they are normally deep dwelling fish that command high prices.