Black Cap Basslet (Gramma Melacara)

Also Known As: Blackcap Basslet, Black Cap Gramma

Compatibility and Behavior
The Black Cap Basslet (Gramma melacara) is a deepwater jewel with a unique colorway. A brilliant magenta to purple body is topped by a bold, jet-black diagonal cap that runs from the snout, through the eye, and back along the dorsal, and its compact, muscular build and deeply forked tail let it make lightning-fast retreats into the rockwork whenever it feels exposed. It's always reef safe and no threat to corals, but it's semi-aggressive and territorial, particularly toward its own kind or similarly shaped basslets and dottybacks. One specific and important pairing to avoid: never house it with the closely related Royal Gramma, since the family resemblance tends to trigger persistent fighting. A single Black Cap is the safest bet for most home tanks. It can be shy at first, often hovering upside down beneath its favorite overhang (basslets love caves), but it grows bolder and more visible once it claims a secure territory, and it coexists peacefully with most other reef fish that aren't after the same hiding spots.

Aquarium Requirements
The key to this fish is recreating its deep-reef, drop-off home, which shapes two choices most fish don't ask for. First, the rockwork: it wants abundant live rock arranged into vertical overhangs, crevices, and shaded caves. Second, the lighting: because it comes from darker, deeper water, it actually prefers subdued to moderate lighting over intense reef lighting, which can leave it skittish and reluctant to come out into the open. Beyond that it's undemanding, happy in an established tank around 30 gallons or larger, and it doesn't need much open swimming room since it stays close to its chosen hideout. A tight-fitting lid or mesh screen is essential, as Black Caps are capable jumpers, particularly during the settling-in period. Feed frozen mysis, enriched brine, finely chopped seafood, and small marine pellets once or twice a day.

Specifications
Approximate Size: 1–1.75"
Diet: Carnivore; small crustaceans and zooplankton, supplemented with frozen mysis, enriched brine shrimp, finely chopped seafood, and small marine pellets
Origin: Western Central Atlantic and Caribbean
Care Level: Easy to moderate
Reef Safe: Yes
Temperament: Semi-aggressive
Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons
Special Considerations: Prefers subdued to moderate lighting and plenty of shaded caves and overhangs; territorial toward its own kind and similar basslets and dottybacks, and should never be housed with the closely related Royal Gramma, which triggers persistent fighting; a capable jumper, so a tight-fitting lid is essential