Blackcap basslet (Gramma melacara)Most marine aquarium hobbyists are well acquainted with the royal gramma (Gramma loreto), a worthy tank inhabitant by virtually any measure. But G. loreto isn’t the only member of the Gramma genus that is well worth its salt. Another is the blackcap basslet (Gramma melacara), a denizen of the tropical western Atlantic and Caribbean Sea that is most abundant in deeper waters. Physical traitsG. melacara is very similar in body plan to the royal gramma, one noteworthy difference being its more deeply bifurcated caudal fin. It is purple in overall coloration with, as its common name implies, a diagonal black “cap” extending from the mouth, over the top of the head, and along the margin of the dorsal fin. Several thin white lines radiate backward from the eye
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