Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Likely Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: East Africa to Hawaiian Islands, north to Southern Japan and south to Australia and Rapa Islands.
Size: 8 inches (20 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits shallow lagoons and seaward reefs where it sits on the branches of Acropora, Pocillopora and Stylophora stony corals and generally is found at depths between 3 – 100 feet (1 – 30 m) where it feeds on small fishes and crustaceans.
General Husbandry: Somewhat common in the trade and quite attractive having a tannish orange body with broad white horizontal stripe on the body and a yellow and red arch-shaped mark behind the eyes.
Can be maintained in reef or fish-only aquariums, which should contain various rocky areas where the species can take shelter if needing it, or perch/sit on and watch the activity of other tankmates or see where food enters the aquarium. Very feisty and should only be maintained with larger aggressive fishes such as dottybacks, large angelfishes, surgeonfishes, and triggerfishes.
As to diet, chopped products such as marine fish and crustacean flesh, clams, and other marine meaty foods and/or frozen carnivore foods should be fed twice daily.
Taxonomy:
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Percoidei
Family: Cirrhitidae
Genus: Paracirrhites
FYI: Will eat small ornamental shrimp (including cleaner shrimp), tubeworms, snails, crabs and smaller fishes.
Will defend its preferred sitting areas, even against larger fishes.
May annoy sessile invertebrates by sitting on them.
Adults do not possess a swim bladder.
Strong pelvic fins are used as supports when perching.
One per aquarium.
Experience Level: Intermediate
Temperament: Feisty/aggressive
Diet: Carnivore
Coral Safe: Yes
Fish Safe: With caution
Invertebrate Safe: With caution
Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+
Aquarium Environment: Reef or fish-only aquarium
Tankmates: Larger and aggressive
Minimum Tank Size: 50+ gallons
Temperature Range: 72 - 81°F (22 – 27°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
