Species name: Gramma loreto
Common names: Royal Gramma, Fairy Basslet
Family: Grammatidae (Basslets)
Order: Perciformes (perch-likes)
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 3.2 in.
Minimum tank size: 20 gallons
Hardiness: Easy
Aggressiveness: Semi-aggressive. Do not keep this fish with any other pseudocromid, dottyback or basslet. Keep only one of this species per tank, unless you have 80 gallons or more aquarium with plenty of hiding places.
Reef Compatibility: Excellent. Will never bother corals or inverts.
Distribution: Western Central Atlantic: Bermuda, Bahamas, and Central America to northern South America
Diet: Feed meaty foods such as Brine Shrimp, Plankton, Mysids, Krill, and chopped shell fish such as clams, scallops, high quality pellets, vitamin enriched flake foods, and shrimp. Improper nutrition often causes its colors to fade.
Additional information:
In the wild, the Royal Gramma is from the Western Central Atlantic region where it is found at depth of 10 to 196 feet. It is a deep-water dweller that do not like bright light and may hide in caves and under ledges during the day. They are shy fish and like to stay near hiding places. They come out into the open to feed, but tend to dart back into the rockwork when startled. However, they can be quite active and are great to watch if given the proper tank environment. It is a hardy fish, ideal for beginners.
It is one of the most eye catching of the basslets making it popular in the aquarium hobby. It is a colorful fish that will add beauty to any aquarium. The front half of its body and head are a bright purple to violet, while the back half is a striking and vibrant yellow. Males and females look similar except that the female has much shorter pelvic fins and are smaller than the males.
The ideal aquarium should have a specific gravity of 1.020 to 1.025, a pH of 8.1 to 8.4 and a temperature between 72 – 78° F. Provide plenty of live rock to make them feel safe and to prevent them from fighting over hiding places. They do best in aquarium with low to medium lightning.
