Captive-bred Royal Grammas, Gramma loreto, make an appearance at Quality Marine
Quality Marine Receives Aquacultured Royal Gramma/Fairy Basslet (Gramma loreto)
via Quality Marine
August 23, 2016 – Los Angeles – Quality Marine is proud to announce the arrival of Aquacultured Royal Grammas from the Batavia Coast Maritime Institute (BCMI) in Australia. A testament to the biologists and aquarists who bred and reared them, these Fairy Basslets are exceptionally robust and healthy. Because of the limited number of specimens, they will only be available to public aquariums and educational facilities.
Another look at a captive-bred Royal Gramma
Royal Grammas represent just one of several species being aquacultured by BCMI, a campus of Durack Institute of Technology in Western Australia. BCMI also cultures several clowns, Fijian Damsels, Mandarin Dragonets and Skunk Cleaner Shrimp. They also have several species under development, including Flame Angels, Yellow Tangs, Blue Tangs, Blood Shrimp and more. You can learn about BCMI here: http://www.durack.edu.au/home/about-us/campuses-and-facilities/batavia-coast-maritime-institute.
A glimpse into the aquaculture of the Royal Gramma, Gramma loreto
Gramma loreto is a small fish, rarely reaching more than 3 inches or so in length, though reports of them reaching up to 5 inches have been registered. In the wild, they are generally found in relatively shallow water (1 to 90 feet) and are frequently found under overhangs or near small caves. Fish found under the overhangs are often swimming “upside down”. They range throughout the tropical Caribbean as well as both north and south along the tropical Atlantic coastline. They have been known to feed on parasites of other fish.
Royal Grammas are one of the best fish for the home aquarium. In addition to being wildly colorful and active, they are also extremely durable, with aquacultured specimens being considered to be even hardier than their wild counterparts by many. They are very easy to feed, and will take just about any food they can fit in their mouths. Feeding 1x-2x daily is all that is required. A well fed specimens should pose little risk to invertebrates in a reef system. While Grammas have a reputation for aggression, Royal Grammas are among the most peaceful fish in this grouping. If added all at once to a larger system, they can even be kept in harems, in which case the hobbyist will be likely to observe spawning activity in their own aquarium. One cautionary note is that aggression is most likely with other similarly colored and shaped fish.
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