Fairy basslet
Gramma loreto
Poey, 1868

Description:
Body bicolored, purple to violet in front, bright orange-yellow behind (G. loreto). Dorsal fin with a dark spot and several streaks on the head, running across the eye.
Size up to 8 cm.

Habitat:
Often found in caves or under ledges, down to 60 m. Swim with the belly towards the substrate, thus under ledges upside down. Feed on ectoparasites of other fish. Retreat into recesses when alarmed.

Distribution:
Not reported Florida, abundant Bahamas and Caribbean.

Remarks:
The related Heliotrope basslet (Gramma klayi) lacks the dark spot on the dorsal fin.

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Superclass Pisces
Class Osteichthyes
Family Grammatidae
Genus Gramma
Species Gramma loreto

Status in World Register of Marine Species

Accepted name: Gramma loreto Poey, 1868

Scientific synonyms and common names

Fairy basslet [English]
Royal gramma [English]
Royal gramma [Papiamentu]

Humann, P., 1989. Reef Fish Identification - Florida Caribbean Bahamas, (ed. N. Deloach). New World Publications, Inc., Paramount Miller Graphics, Inc., Jacksonville, Florida.

Nagelkerken, W., 1980. Coral Reef Fishes of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao. Published by the Island Territory of Curacao.

You can continue searching for Gramma loreto on one of these Web sites:

Fauna Europaea (animals) | IOPI (plants) | NCBI (genetic)

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