Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Likely Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Western Indian Ocean: Red Sea and Sodwana Bay South Africa, to the Chagos and Maldives Islands.
Size: 7 inches (17 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits crevices and caves in sheltered inshore reefs at depths between 10 - 150 feet (3 - 45 m) where it feeds mainly on zooplankton.
General Husbandry: Ocassionally seen in the trade and quite attractive, having a white body with many red or reddish brown bands, and a black tail edged in white.
Best maintained in small aquariums with minimum water currents, as this is a slow moving species. Aquarium environment should have sufficient caves and crevices that they can explore or take shelter as needed. Quite shy, especially when first introduced into the aquarium. Tankmates must be quite peaceful, as pipefish make good targets for fin-nipping species.
Even though only a live food consumer in the wild, a meaty diet such as enriched live adult brine shrimp and/or enriched frozen brine shrimp, mysis, and krill will usually suffice and should be offered twice daily by dispensing it up stream so the water current will slowly carry it towards the species.
May be difficult to feed in the early days in the aquarium and if so, live enriched adult brine shrimp should be offered several times daily. Over time, it may learn to accept various frozen foods.
Taxonomy:
Order: Gasterosteiformes
Suborder: Syngnathoidei
Family: Syngnathidae
Subfamily: Syngnathinae
Genus: Doryrhamphus
FYI: This is a slow moving fish that can easily get sucked into an open intake siphon; therefore these type intakes must have a strainer on their intake areas.
Those in this genus are referred to as ‘Hovering Pipefish.’
There is a similar colored species, D. pessuliferus in this genus, except its body is yellow with similar colored bands and a red tail.
Experience Level: Intermediate
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Carnivore
Coral Safe: Yes
Fish Safe: Yes
Invertebrate Safe: With caution
Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+
Aquarium Environment: Reef or fish only aquarium
Tankmates: Peaceful
Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons
Temperature Range: 72 - 80°F (22 – 27°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
