Royal gramma
Encyclopedia
The Royal gramma is a popular aquarium fish
.
), with the two main differences between the two being that the false gramma has clear fins and does not fade, but rather has a distinct change in color. Royal gramma averages slightly over 8 cm (3 inches) and has been tank bred.
and the Lesser Antilles
. They are carnivorous and eat most meat-based diets.
and other invertebrates. Notwithstanding this general statement, royal grammas can become aggressive towards tank-mates when kept in smaller nano reef tanks. Minimum suggested tank size is 20 gallons. The royal gramma should not be kept with its own kind unless in a formed male-female pair. It should also not be kept with larger, aggressive fish. They are, however, resistant to most diseases and make very good beginner fish.
Aquarium fish
In fishkeeping, species of aquarium fish vary with the water chemistry of the aquarium.For species of fish found in particular types of aquaria, see:*List of brackish aquarium fish species*List of freshwater aquarium amphibian species...
.
Appearance
The fish begins as a dark purple starting at the head which fades mid-body to yellow at the tail. The royal gramma will also have a small black spot on the front of the dorsal fin. The royal gramma resembles the false gramma (Pictichromis paccagnellaePictichromis paccagnellae
The Royal Dottyback , also called the Bicolor Dottyback or False Gramma is a fish commonly kept in marine aquariums. The front of the fish is bright purple and the posterior is yellow. In an aquarium, it will grow up to three inches long...
), with the two main differences between the two being that the false gramma has clear fins and does not fade, but rather has a distinct change in color. Royal gramma averages slightly over 8 cm (3 inches) and has been tank bred.
Diet
The royal gramma is a planktivore, eating mostly zooplankton and crustaceans. They will also accept frozen and meaty foods such as brine shrimp and mysid shrimp in the wild.Range
Their natural range covers the Bahamas, VenezuelaVenezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
and the Lesser Antilles
Lesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles are a long, partly volcanic island arc in the Western Hemisphere. Most of its islands form the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, with the remainder located in the southern Caribbean just north of South America...
. They are carnivorous and eat most meat-based diets.
In the aquarium
Due to their relatively peaceful nature, diet and small size, the royal gramma is considered an ideal inhabitant for most reef aquariums containing coralCoral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
and other invertebrates. Notwithstanding this general statement, royal grammas can become aggressive towards tank-mates when kept in smaller nano reef tanks. Minimum suggested tank size is 20 gallons. The royal gramma should not be kept with its own kind unless in a formed male-female pair. It should also not be kept with larger, aggressive fish. They are, however, resistant to most diseases and make very good beginner fish.
Trivia
- In the film Finding NemoFinding NemoFinding Nemo is a 2003 American comi-drama animated film written by Andrew Stanton, directed by Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich and produced by Pixar. It tells the story of the overly protective clownfish Marlin who, along with a regal tang called Dory , searches for his abducted son Nemo...
the character Gurgle (voiced by Austin PendletonAustin PendletonAustin Pendleton is an American film, television, and stage actor, a playwright, and a theatre director and instructor.-Life and career:...
) is a royal gramma.