Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Likely Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Central Pacific Ocean: Line Island, Fanning Island and Australia.
Size: 2 inches (5 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits steep outer reef slopes and usually found in large shoals at depths between 100 to about 300 feet (30 – 90 m) where it feeds on zooplankton.
General Husbandry: Rarely available in the trade, and quite attractive, having a slender pale pink body with red horizontal botches on the central and top of the body.
Best maintained in aquaria with dimmed lighting, as they are often collected in areas receiving little natural light, i.e., well over 100 feet deep. Yet brightly lit reef aquariums are still feasible, yet they will naturally seek darker areas until well acclimated, which may take several weeks. The aquarium should also have some rocky caves and strong water movement, and have a large unencumbered area for schooling. Tankmates should be peaceful.
As to diet, will eat most regular aquarium foods, e.g., finely chopped various frozen or fresh meaty foods such as mysis, squid, fish flesh, shrimp, clam, etc., and should be offered at least twice daily and dispensed upstream so water currents carry food to their location.
Sometimes difficult to get feeding, and if so, fortified live adult brine shrimp may be necessary until they accept other types of aquarium foods, e.g., frozen foods and fresh marine fish and invertebrate flesh.
Taxonomy:
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Percoidei
Family: Serranidae
Subfamily: Anthiinae
Genus: Pseudanthias
FYI: Best maintained in small groups of five or more, with only one male.
Can jump out of the aquarium, therefore some sort of cover may be necessary.
Somewhat aggressive fishes will keep these somewhat shy fishes in hiding, where they may starve to death.
Experience Level: Intermediate
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Carnivore
Coral Safe: Yes
Fish Safe: Yes
Invertebrate Safe: Yes
Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+
Aquarium Environment: Reef or fish-only aquarium
Tankmates: Peaceful
Minimum Tank Size: 100 gallons
Temperature Range: 72 - 80°F (22 – 27°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
