Powerhouse B-Box Aquarium scores again with this lovely specimen of Lipogramma trilineatum. The genus of Lipogramma basslets comprise of eight species, and all are deepwater residents of the Western Atlantic. Of the eight, only four have ever been seen in the aquarium trade. These are L. evides, L. klayi, L. trilineatum and the most recent addition, L. robinsi. It was only last year did L. robinsi surface in the aquarium trade. Before that, virtually no pictures of it existed, along with L. regia, L. flavescens, L. anabantoides and L. roseum. L. trilineatum is the last of the four obtainable species so far that we’ve covered here on ReefBuilders.
L. trilineatum may not be as pretty as L. klayi and L. evides, but this little yellow fish it is just as valuable and highly sought after by rare fish collectors. L. trilineatum is mostly yellow with three blue stripes on the head, two coming out behind the eyes and one in the middle. While not as elegant and graceful looking as the other Lipogramma species, the three-lined basslet commands a high price to anyone who is willing to pay for it. This recent shipment from the Atlantic also boasts of a few other rare basslets such as Anthias tenuis, Protonogrammus martinicensis and Hemanthias vivanus. These arrived as dull looking juveniles but will surely color up nicely as they grow older.
As with all other rare fish that enter the doors of B-Box Aquarium, here’s a video of the trilineatum basslet.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1Cb6kAdatQ&feature=g-all&context=G2285347FAAAAAAAADAA[/youtube]
