The Barred Spiny Basslet
Belonepterygion fasciolatum
“They are rare, they are charming, and not infrequently
they are highly unusual!” Although journalist Stefanie
Rosenkranz was referring to pandas and exceptional
kids, her observation describes the little pygmy basslet
Belonepterygion fasciolatum, perfectly. It is “rare” in the
aquarium trade, and when it does appear, it remains un-
noticed by most people, as it shuns the light and leads
a cryptic life away from the sight of predators, divers,
and aquarists. It can, however, charm us with both its
tiny size—this little fish attains at most 2 inches ( 5 cm)
in length—and its extremely circumspect, slightly wob-
bly, somewhat comical way of swimming. To the casual
observer, B. fasciolatum appears to be a dottyback, but
it lacks the size, confidence, and boisterousness of the
genus Pseudochromis. With greatly elongated pectoral
fins on which these bottom-dwelling fishes “stand” and
prominent dorsal lappets, popular names such as Red-
Banded High-Fin Dottyback and Marine Betta often
define it. In is, in fact, a member of the Plesiopidae or
Longfins, and is related to the Comet and assessors.
REFERENCES:
Debelius, H. & R. Kuiter. 2006. Atlas der Meeresfische. Kosmos
Verlag, Stuttgart, Germany.
Michael, Scott W. 2004. Basslets, Dottybacks & Hawkfishes: Reef
Fishes Book 2. Microcosm/ TFH, Neptune, NJ.
