The family Grammatidae, also commonly known as Grammas, is the third Basslet family I've discussed in this column. I'm sure this may be confusing to many people, as I've already discussed two distinct families of fish that are commonly called Basslets. To compound this confusion further, there are actually four distinct families that are referred to as Basslets: Plesiopidae, Pseudochromidae, Grammatidae, and Serranidae. For the remainder of this article, I'll refer to Grammatidae as Grammas.

Grammatidae Gramma   •brasiliensis •linki •loreto •melacara Lipogramma   •anabantoides •evides •flavescens •klayi •regia •robinsi •rosea •trilineata Courtesy of Catalog of Fishes

Grammas have an interrupted or absent lateral line, one spine and five soft rays on the pelvic fins, and eleven to thirteen spines on the dorsal fin (Fish Base). All are deepwater fish. In fact, Lipogramma spp. are rarely seen in the hobby because they are normally found at depths greater than 400 feet. I will, therefore, discuss only Gramma.

Gramma spp. are found in the tropical Western Atlantic from the northern tip of the Bahamas, to Venezuela. They are not indigenous to the Florida Keys; however, Gramma loreto has established itself from southern Florida throughout the Keys mostly due to irresponsible hobbyists releasing captive aquarium specimens (Courtenay, 1995).

Grammas are protogynous hermaphrodites; that is, all males were once sexually functional females. When the dominant male gramma dies (or otherwise disappears), and another male doesn't inherit the territory, the dominant female fills the void left by the missing male and the sex change begins. Shortly thereafter, the female becomes a dominant, sexually functional male. When the female of a pair dies, another female will fill the void.

Gramma spp. generally prefers to colonize highly rugose deepwater walls or reef slopes where cover is abundant. Crevices, cracks, sponges, corals, overhangs, caves, or anything that provides suitable cover, will usually have a Gramma of one species or another. They will spend most of their time with their heads sticking out of their preferred hiding spot or hanging upside down from the roof of their cave. They feed on zooplankton, primarily copepods and isopods. On occasion, individuals will clean parasitic isopods of other fishes. They have been observed cleaning yellowtail snappers (Ocyurus chrysurus) and the Nassau grouper (Epinephalus striatus) (Coral Realm). Their unusually large mouth for a zooplanktivore provides Grammas with their only means of defense. A large, wide-open mouth is displayed to defend against most attackers, including congeners. If this defense is insufficient, they are likely to flee into protected areas of the reef.

All Grammas are exceptional choices for the home reef aquarium. They will not bother sessile corals or mobile invertebrates, including shrimp. Most suitable tank mates are ignored (see graph). Overall, they are very resistant to disease. They do, however, have a few special requirements to ensure their well being.

The biggest concern for the aquarist should be in providing them with a hiding spot. The more rockwork present, the more comfortable your Gramma will feel. Make sure there are several caves and overhangs for the Gramma. More often than not, they will choose one, and make it their home. If you do not provide a shaded overhang in your viewing area, they will hide, and you may only see them during feeding time. Providing overhangs and caves is especially important for brightly lit tanks. Simulating a deeper water environment with an actinic light is another excellent means of viewing your Gramma.

Food will only be consumed by Grammas when floating in the water column. Good foods for stimulating great coloration and vitality should include some of the following: mysis, plankton, enriched frozen or live brine, small pieces of squid or crab, and various carnivore flake or pellet foods. Additionally, vitamins should be added to the foods. Soaking freeze-dried plankton or live brine shrimp in liquid vitamins is an effective way to deliver it to the fish. Grammas are usually aggressive eaters and will consume most foods that enter the tank.

Spawning in the home aquarium can, and does, happen in Grammatidae. Gramma spp. were the first marine fish bred within the U.S.A (Baensch, 1994). Unfortunately, the hobby still relies heavily upon wild capture to keep up with demand for this fish.

For the hobbyist interested in spawning Gramma sp., a tank at least four feet in length should be used. A male will defend up to 560 square feet (Coral Realm). For reference, a 55 gallon aquarium is 576 cubic inches. Grammas can be aggressive to congeners, especially when two males are mixed. To minimize the risk of adding two males, it is best to find two Grammas that are vastly different in size. The largest Grammas are always the males or will become the male when paired with smaller Grammas.

The male will prepare the den, which usually consists of various algae species, sponges, gorgonians, and urchin spines (Coral Realm). These materials are regularly replaced as they decompose. The den is built into a hole in the rockwork with access limited to a single entrance/exit. Any secondary entrances to the den are covered so that only one entrance/exit exists. The female will be lured into the den where she will lay the eggs. Depending upon the species, the female will lay up to 400 eggs. Both the male and female will guard the eggs until they hatch in the evening of the seventh day. The fry are well developed, have a yolk sac, and within one month they will have adult pigmentation. At hatching, G. melacara measures roughly 3mm, with G. loreto and G. brasiliensis being slightly smaller. First foods offered to the fry should include Nannochloropsis sp. and Isochrysis sp., and within two weeks the fry should be large enough to consume newly hatched Artemia (C~Quest, 1994).

Gramma loreto, a.k.a. the Royal Gramma or Fairy Basslet, is one of the more common fish in the hobby. Outdated references will list this fish as G. hemichrysos. It is found throughout the Caribbean at depths of 3 - 120 feet, though it is most common below 60 feet. At all times, it will keep its bottom side towards a solid structure. Therefore, whenever this fish is hovering below the roof of a cave, it will be upside down (Spiekerman 1973).

Royal Gramma

The Royal Gramma can reach three inches in length and can be kept singly in a 20 gallon or larger aquarium. Selection of suitable tank mates is tricky in tanks as small as 20 gallons. Consider making the Gramma the largest inhabitant, and add it last. For a community aquarium, a 55 gallon tank or larger would be a better choice. If Gramma loreto is the lone species in a larger tank, a harem can be maintained. Gramma loreto has been found in concentrations as high as 116 individuals on a single coral head measuring 20 feet in diameter (Coral Realm). To attempt this in the home aquarium, try to ensure you obtain one male while the remaining animals are female. Males will fight for territory. If your tank is not large enough for the given number of males added, you will have problems.

Gramma brasiliensis, the Brazilian Gramma, is extremely similar to Gramma loreto. The only notable differences are their origin and a few minor cosmetic differences. Gramma brasiliensis is only found in Brazil, and visual differences occur in the jaw line, dorsal fin, and their slightly different coloration. Gramma brasiliensis' jaw line extends slightly past the pupil, and the first dorsal spine is noticeably shorter than the rest of the spines (Coral Realm). Brazilians violet is not as intense as G. loreto, and the fade from violet to yellow is more gradual.

Brazilian Gramma

Gramma melacara is known commonly as the Blackcap Basslet. The species name melacara comes from the Greek roots "melaen," meaning black or blacken, and "car = a," meaning the head or top. This species is found deeper than either G. loreto or G. brasiliensis. Rarely do they venture above 60 feet, being more commonly found below 100 feet. The depth required for collection also means a higher price found in stores. They do get larger than the other Grammas, growing to four inches in length. Unlike G. loreto and G. brasiliensis, G. melacara will not be found in large groups. Instead, they will be found as lone adults, or in small aggregations. This behavior should be mimicked in the home aquarium by keeping only one Blackcap per aquarium, except for exceptionally large home aquariums (>200 gallons).

The last Gramma sp. to mention is G. linki. It is also commonly referred to as the Yellowlined Basslet. This species rarely shows up in the hobby, mostly because they are not found shallower than 120 feet.

Conclusion

Grammas are an interesting group of fish. Their comical behavior of hanging upside down and their interesting personality adds even more enjoyment to an exceptionally colorful group of marine fish. When you combine their personality and beauty with their overall hardiness, you have a perfect choice for the reef aquarium.

Baensch, H.A. 1994. Fairy Basslets. Baensch Marine Atlas, Volume 1. Microcosm. Shelburne. 988 - 992.

Böhlke, J.E. and J.E. Randall. 1963. The fishes of the Western Atlantic serranoid genus Gramma. Proc. Nat Acad Sci. Philad. 115(2): 33-52.

Burgess, W.E., et al. 1991. Dr. Burgess's Mini-Atlas of Marine Aquarium Fishes MinEdition. T.F.H. Publications. Neptune City. pp. 209 - 210.

Courtenay, W. 1995. Marine fish introductions in southeast Florida. American Fisheries Society Introduced Fish Section Newsletter 14(1):2-3.

Lieske, E. and Myers, R.. 1996.. Coral Reef Fishes. Princeton University Press. Princeton pp. 152

Michael, S. W. 1999. Grammas. Marine Fishes: 500 + Essential-To-Know Aquarium Species. Microcosm. Shelburne. . pp. 125 - 127

Michael, S. W. 1998. Family Grammatidae. Reef Fishes Volume 1. Microcosm. Shelburne. pp. 101

Spiekerman, Dr. J. 1973. Marine Aquarium Guide. A.J.G. Strngholt N.V pp. 195 - 196.