The Multiline Basslet, Liopropoma multilineatum, may not be the highest target of deepwater basslet enthusiasts but this video of a Liopropoma in it’s natural habitat is extremely informative. It is well known that many basslets and Liopropoma in particular live in deeper parts of the reef and this is well documented in the literature. However, watching this multiline basslet dart in and out of the reef matrix tells us a lot about how this fish live in the wild. Granted this fish has a diver and lights all up in it’s gill but the environmental cues remain.
Reduced flow and light are obvious to see in this video shot at an unspecified depth where Liopropoma multilineatum occurs in Cebu. Judging by the non-photosyntetic corals, sponge and sparse coralline algae growth this video was made beyond the depth limit of photosynthetic corals, but not in the twilight depths of the reef beyond 300 feet beyond which photosynthesis is supposed to be impossible. Additionally, at a probable depth of 150-200 feet where this video might have been made, the temperature is likely to be closer to 70F instead of the tropical 80 degrees that tropical seas often enjoy closer to the surface. Isn’t it amazing what a short 35 second clip can tell us about the deepwater habitat of rare reef fish?
