Fun Royal Gramma Facts For Kids

Vibrant and easy-going, these basslets are sure to become the crown jewel adorning your aquariums. They are one of the most peaceful species of basslets, which makes them amazing tank mates for most other peaceful fish as well. They are only known to act aggressively towards their own species, but that can be prevented if there is plenty of space available. Royal Grammas are hardy fish, which means that they are generally not susceptible to the usual diseases that seem to bother other saltwater aquarium fish. They are also famous for their jumping skills, so do remember to put a solid roof over their tank. Caring for them is very easy which makes them an ideal choice for first-time fish keepers as well as for experts in the field. Read on to learn some interesting Royal Gramma fish facts.If you like reading fun facts about animals, then check out our rainbow cichlid and exquisite wrasse facts too.‍

What do they prey on? Shrimps, crustaceans

What do they eat? Carnivore

Average litter size? 4-50

How much do they weigh? N/A

How long are they? 2.5-3 in (6.4-7.7 cm)

How tall are they? N/A

What do they look like? Purple, yellow

Skin Type Wet, slimy scales

What were their main threats? N/a

What is their conservation status? Least Concern

Where you’ll find them? Tropical Waters

Locations Central And South America

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Gramma

Class Actinopterygii

Family Grammatidae

Royal Gramma Interesting FactsWhat type of animal is a Royal Gramma?The Royal Gramma is a type of saltwater fish that is found around the reefs of the western part of the Atlantic Ocean. They require quite a lot of space, so a tank of about 30 gal (136.4 l) is needed. You can also decorate the tank with corals and reefs to make them more comfortable in their surroundings.What class of animal does a Royal Gramma belong to?These reef fish are known to be quite peaceful, and they make good tank mates for both saltwater fish and freshwater fish. Royal Gramma care is a pretty easy routine to follow which is why they tend to make excellent starter fish. You just need to keep them in a saltwater tank as they are used to the marine environment. Royal Grammas are also called the fairy basslet.How many Royal Grammas are there in the world?It is hard to say just how many of the Royal Gramma fish are there in the world, but, as they are listed as a species of Least Concern in the IUCN red list of endangered animals, so it can be assumed that their population is thriving in their natural habitat.Where does a Royal Gramma live?These beautiful fish are known to inhabit the tropical waters of the Caribbean range of the Western Atlantic Ocean, namely, Bermuda, Venezuela, Antilles, Bahamas as well as the North portion of South America.What is a Royal Gramma’s habitat?These basslets are shy and tend to spend most of their time hiding in the crevices of corals and reefs, so a good way to make them comfortable in an aquarium is to keep them in a reef tank setting with elaborate outcroppings and dull lighting.Who do Royal Grammas live with?Royal Grammas are shoaling fish, who are known to live in a group of many individuals. They do, however, require a lot of space, so, if you want to keep even a pair of them in your saltwater aquariums, you should go for a tank that is at least 68 gal (309.1 l) in size. Even, though these fish can behave quite aggressively to each other and break out in territorial battles, they are extremely peaceful with other species of fish. This actually makes them a great choice for a community tank. However, if you are new to the fish-keeping hobby keeping more than one of these fish is not really recommended.How long does a Royal Gramma live?If taken care of properly, these basslet fish can live up to five years and sometimes even more than that. A good way to make your Royal Gramma comfortable in the aquarium is to decorate it with reefs and corals. They are pretty shy in nature and spend most of their time hiding in reef cavities, so having that hidey-hole in their reef tank will really help them get comfortable in their surroundings.How do they reproduce?The breeding season of the Royal Grammas usually starts in late spring. The males are known to build a nest made of algae as well as small rocks, where the females lay eggs. About 5-40 eggs are laid daily during this time. The males fertilize the eggs which then stay stuck to the nest for about a week or till the time it takes for the eggs to hatch. The main problem with feeding the babies of Royal Grammas is that their mouths are all different sized, which is why it is possibly best to stick to a diet of copepods until they are big enough to be called a fry. Breeding the fairy basslet is actually a lot easier than a lot of other fish kept in the saltwater aquarium setting, and the Royal Gramma care routine is very easy to follow making them a great choice for first-time fish keepers.What is their conservation status?The Gramma loreto is listed as a species of Least Concern in the IUCN red list of endangered animals, so it would be safe to assume that the population of these vibrant purple fish is thriving in their natural habitat in the Caribbean region. These fish can sometimes get confused with the Royal dottyback, who although quite similar in appearance to them, are a lot more aggressive and not a great choice for community tanks or first-time aquarists. One thing you need to keep in mind is not to keep them with fish that are similar in appearance, especially fish that are a vibrant purple in color, as this way the basslet fish might mistake them for their own species and territorial battles might ensue.Royal Gramma Fun FactsWhat do Royal Grammas look like?Similar in appearance to the Royal dottyback, the front part of the Royal Gramma is a vibrant purple color that changes to a bright golden yellow as it progresses toward the tail. The main difference to the Royal dottyback is possibly the spot where the two colors meet. In Royal dottybacks there is no blending of colors and the change looks abrupt but in the case of the Royal Gramma the colors blend into each other, there is also a pattern of dots on the basslet fish where the colors meet. Interestingly, this pattern is unique to each individual. They have a black line extending from their mouth through their large, black-colored eyes. There is a small yet prominent black spot on the dorsal fin of the basslet fish. There is a little sexual dimorphism noticed in this species with the females being smaller than the males. Males are also known to be more vibrantly colored than females.How cute are they?The Royal Gramma basslet is very cute with its big eyes and vibrant colored body. In fact, they are so cherished that they are thought to be the crown jewel of any tank they are kept in.How do they communicate?Like any fish, the Gramma loreto is known to communicate through body gestures. During territorial fights, they charge towards their opponents with their mouths wide open. However, they are known as one of the most peaceful fish species and are only known to act aggressively towards each other, so it is possibly best to keep a single individual if you want to avoid these battles.How big is a Royal Gramma?The Royal Gramma is a small fish that only grows up to 2.5-3 in (6.4-7.7 cm), which is about the top size of a large grasshopper.How fast can a Royal Gramma swim?It is hard to say just how fast these fish can swim, but as they are skilled swimmers, it can be assumed that they swim pretty fast.How much does a Royal Gramma weigh?It can not really be said just how much these fish weigh, as weighing them out of water would be tremendously risky. However, they are very small so it can be assumed that they do not weigh much.What are the male and female names of the species?Like most fish species, there are no gender-specific names for the male and female counterparts of the Royal Gramma basslet. The males are just called male Royal Grammas and females are just called female Royal Grammas.What would you call a baby Royal Gramma?When they are first hatched, the babies of the Royal Gramma basslet are called hatchlings. The eggs take about a week to hatch and strangely, most of their mouths are sized differently.What do they eat?The primary diet of the Gramma loreto consists of phytoplankton and zooplankton, however, they are also known to eat the parasites off of the skin of other fish, which is why they are also called cleaner fish. When kept in reef tanks, though, you can feed them Mysis shrimp or brine shrimp or even keep them on a dried food diet of fish flesh and crustaceans. As the Royal Gramma fish are carnivores feeding them is fairly easy, but, keep in mind to keep them on a varied range of diet. You can even use flake foods to feed them, as they are not known as choosy eaters. Just remember to feed them a few times a day. When adjusted to their setting, they will come out of their hidey-hole and eat anything off the middle part of the water column if it fits in their mouth. This is one of the reasons why they have become one of the favorites for first-time as well as experienced aquarists.Are they aggressive?These purple basslets are one of the most peaceful fish around which makes them such a good choice for a community tank as well as for first-time fish keepers. These fish are strangely only known to be aggressive towards members of their own species. So, the best thing to do would be to keep them in a tank that has lots of space or not to keep them with other members of their species. You should use at least a 30 gal (136.4 l) tank for an adult-size Royal Gramma specimen. If you want to keep them in a pair make sure that the tank is at least 68 gal (309.1 l) in size. Another thing you can do to make these purple fish comfortable is to make sure that the water temperature is at the recommended level in the tank, otherwise, any fish would get uncomfortable and as a result, will not last long.Would they make a good pet?The Royal Gramma basslet is one of the most peaceful species of fish around making them an ideal choice for community fish tanks. Caring for them is also very easy and they are not at all choosy when it comes to food. They are also hardy, which means that they are not susceptible to most diseases. These are the reasons that have made this fish one of the favorites for both first-time fish keepers as well as experienced ones.Did you know…Interestingly, all Royal Grammas are born female, but later most dominant members of the shoal evolve into males.Do Royal Grammas jump?The fairy basslet is famous for its jumping skills, but, only if the tank conditions are not preferable to them. All aquarium fish are known to jump to escape a situation like that, so a good idea would be to keep a solid roof over the tank and to keep the tank conditions within the recommended scale.Keeping Royal Gramma fishRoyal Grammas are some of the most peaceful fish around, which makes them an ideal choice for community fish tanks. They only act aggressively towards their own species but it can be prevented if the space is big enough for a pair to live without crossing paths often. They need a lot of space. Caring for them is also very easy as they are hardy, and the best part is that they are not choosy about their food. However, do remember to feed them at least a few times a day to keep them healthy and contented and you are set.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other fish from our firemouth cichlid facts and queen triggerfish fun facts pages.You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable royal gramma coloring pages.

What type of animal is a Royal Gramma?

The Royal Gramma is a type of saltwater fish that is found around the reefs of the western part of the Atlantic Ocean. They require quite a lot of space, so a tank of about 30 gal (136.4 l) is needed. You can also decorate the tank with corals and reefs to make them more comfortable in their surroundings.

Fun Royal Gramma Facts For Kids

What do they prey on? Shrimps, crustaceans

What do they eat? Carnivore

Average litter size? 4-50

How much do they weigh? N/A

How long are they? 2.5-3 in (6.4-7.7 cm)

How tall are they? N/A

What do they look like? Purple, yellow

Skin Type Wet, slimy scales

What were their main threats? N/a

What is their conservation status? Least Concern

Where you’ll find them? Tropical Waters

Locations Central And South America

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Gramma

Class Actinopterygii

Family Grammatidae

Fun Royal Gramma Facts For Kids

What do they prey on? Shrimps, crustaceans

What do they eat? Carnivore

Average litter size? 4-50

How much do they weigh? N/A

How long are they? 2.5-3 in (6.4-7.7 cm)

How tall are they? N/A

What do they look like? Purple, yellow

Skin Type Wet, slimy scales

What were their main threats? N/a

What is their conservation status? Least Concern

Where you’ll find them? Tropical Waters

Locations Central And South America

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Gramma

Class Actinopterygii

Family Grammatidae

Fun Royal Gramma Facts For Kids

What do they prey on? Shrimps, crustaceans

What do they eat? Carnivore

Average litter size? 4-50

How much do they weigh? N/A

How long are they? 2.5-3 in (6.4-7.7 cm)

How tall are they? N/A

What do they look like? Purple, yellow

Skin Type Wet, slimy scales

What were their main threats? N/a

What is their conservation status? Least Concern

Where you’ll find them? Tropical Waters

Locations Central And South America

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Gramma

Class Actinopterygii

Family Grammatidae