Tobacco Basslet (Serranus tabacarius)

The Tobacco Basslet, also known as the Tobacco Fish, boasts a light gray lower body and a distinct black and silver mottled pattern on its back, separated by an orange band.

This basslet is robust for aquarium life and is well-suited for fish-only tanks or reef setups with care. Larger Tobacco Basslets can pose a threat to smaller crustaceans and tiny fish like damselfish, gobies, and blennies. For a single individual, a minimum tank size of 70 gallons is recommended, while more than one requires at least 125 gallons. It’s advisable to introduce multiple Tobacco Basslets simultaneously to prevent dominance issues among smaller members of the same species.

As a carnivore, the Tobacco Basslet thrives on a diet of meaty foods, Mysis shrimp, enriched brine shrimp, and frozen carnivore foods.