Bladefin Basslet (Jeboehlkia gladifer)

The Bladefin Basslet (Jeboehlkia gladifer) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Longspine Sea Bass is a super rare deep water species found in the western Atlantic from South Carolina to the southern Caribbean.

Frequently collected by submersibles from deep water reefs like those in Curaçao, Puerto Rico; the Bladefin Basslet is a shy, solitary, semi aggressive, deep water Planktivore that is found at depths from 350 feet to over 1,300 feet.

Although it only reaches a maximum size of about 3 inches in length, the Bladefin Basslet is highly aggressive toward its own kind and other similar looking species.   It is peaceful with small reef fish and invertebrates.

Adult Bladefin Basslet (Jeboehlkia gladifer)

The Bladefin Basslet has an elongated compressed body with a large eye, a pointed snout, and a long spike on its front dorsal fin. It has a glowing white, pinkish, to reddish pink body color with a narrow white stripe along the centerline of the head to the long spiked dorsal fin, and a broad red to orange bar across the soft dorsal and anal fins, as well as the caudal fin. The soft dorsal, anal and caudal fins are edged in white into red and the long spiked dorsal fin is white. Juveniles at 1.5 inches in length are developing their color. At 2″ in length, adult fish are fully colored with the bold dorsal fin extended.

The delicate nature and specific feeding requirements of the Bladefin Basslet make them challenging to maintain for even the most experienced aquarists.

Although the Bladefin Basslet can be housed in a nano reef setup, they are best housed in a mature deep water reef tank of at least 30 gallon capacity with a sandy substrate and copious amounts of live rock arranged into crevices, overhangs, and numerus caves for them to hide in.   They require low to moderate lighting, gentle to moderate water flow, and pristine water conditions with <5 ppm Nitrates to thrive.

Along with an excellent filtration system, protein skimmer, and aquarium chiller; frequent water changes are highly recommended to keep this fish healthy.

Bladefin Basslets can be kept singly or in a specific species display.   They are shy but active, and will thrive with small reef safe fish and invertebrates in cave rich environments.

This species has never been bred in an aquarium environment.

In their natural environment, the Bladefin Basslet feeds primarily on Zooplankton.   In an aquarium environment, they can be fed finely chopped Mysis shrimp, copepods, enriched brine shrimp, micro frozen carnivore marine blends, and micro pellets.  Multiple feedings throughout the day will enhance their coloration and reduce stress.

The Bladefin Basslet (Jeboehlkia gladifer) is recognized as the most expensive aquarium species in the hobby for its size and is the only species in the genus Jeboehlkia.

The reason for the astronomically high cost of the Bladefin Basslet is because of the incedible depths at which they occur; up to 800 feet or more.

Currently, most available specimens are being collected by licensed deep water collection teams in 500 to over 800 feet of water using specialized submersible technology and decompression protocols to safely capture the fish.

The Bladefin Basslets are conditioned to low light, stress reducing environments and held in darkroom quarantine for 14 to 21 days or more while being acclimated to captive feeding.   In addition, reputable suppliers will usually provide deep water documentation for customs compliance.

Prices from the Luxury Fish Shop for Juvenile Bladefin Basslets 1.5″ start at $8,000.00; Adults up to 2″ are currently $10,500.00 or more.

Bladefin Basslet (Jeboehlkia gladifer)

Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallon
Aquarium Type: Deepwater Reef
Care Level: Difficult
Temperament: Semi Aggressive
Aquarium Hardiness: Hardy when acclimated
Water Conditions: 72-78° F, dKH 8 – 12°, pH 8.1–8.4, sg 1.023-1.025
Max size: 1.5″ to 2″
Color Form: White, Red
Diet: Carnivore/Planktivore
Compatibility: Reef Safe
Origin: Western Atlantic Ocean; Curaçao, Puerto Rico
Family: Serranidae
Lifespan: 5–10 years in stable, low stress aquariums
Aquarist Experience Level: Expert