Swissguard Basslet

With the dark reddish-brown and yellow-orange stripes running along its body, the swissguard basslet resembles a peppermint candy; that is why it is also known in English as the "peppermint basslet". There is a black spot on the rear part of the second dorsal fin and of the anal fin, and near the edge of the tail there are two black spots joined by a dark band. It reaches about 8 cm.

Although it is common in the wild, it is rarely seen because it lives very secretively; it keeps the same character in the aquarium. Once settled in, it is a hardy and easy-to-feed fish. The specimens sold are wild-caught and the price is high. It used to be classified in the grouper family (Serranidae); in current systematics it belongs to the family Liopropomatidae.

It lives in the deep holes of coral reefs from southern Florida and the Bahamas through the Caribbean to the northern coasts of South America. It is found between 3 and 45 meters; it moves alone through crevices among rocks and corals and rarely comes out into the open.

• Volume: At least 110 liters; a rock structure with plenty of holes matters more than volume.
• Water: Salinity specific gravity 1.023–1.026, pH 8.1–8.4, temperature 24–27°C.
• Layout: Deep caves, tunnels and rock overhangs. Passages it can travel through among the rocks make it visible more often.
• Maturity: It should be added to a stable, mature aquarium.
• Lid: Liopropoma basslets can jump; a lid is essential.
• Reef compatibility: Reef-safe; it leaves corals and snails alone. It lives without problems alongside larger ornamental shrimp; very small crustaceans may be eaten if they fit in its mouth.

Carnivorous. Offer frozen mysis, brine shrimp, finely chopped seafood and granules. In the first weeks it may take only food that falls among the rocks; get the food close to its holes. Feeding once or twice a day is enough.

Peaceful and shy. It is territorial towards its own kind. Noisy, large and territorial fish drive it into hiding completely.

Good companions: Clownfish, chromis, gobies, blennies, cardinalfish, fairy wrasses, cleaner shrimp.

Avoid: Species that share the same cave-dwelling lifestyle, such as the royal gramma, the blackcap basslet and dottybacks, other Liopropoma, hawkfish, tough damselfish, large predators.

Kept singly. Two individuals in the same aquarium usually fight. Do not mix Liopropoma species with each other or with cave-loving territorial species.

Breeding it in the aquarium is not a known practice under home conditions. Like its relatives, it is thought to release its eggs into the water column; the details are not well known.

• Hardy once settled in; quarantine a new specimen for 3–4 weeks.
• Marine white spot and velvet: Observe it in quarantine.
• Stress and loss of appetite are seen in aquariums with few hiding places.

No reliable external difference is known.