Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Likely Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Red Sea to Japan, south to New Caledonia, Hawaii, the Marquesas and Tuamotu Islands, the Great Barrier Reef, and Clipperton Island.
Size: 16 inches (40 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits deep rubble areas and low surge areas of lagoons and seaward reefs and usually seen at depths between 15 - 100 feet (5 - 30 m) where it feeds mainly on leafy brown algae (Sargassum and Dictyota) and minor amounts of zooplankton.
General Husbandry: Occasionally seen in the trade having a pale greyish tan body, yellow above the eyes, white and yellow on the caudal peduncle and yellow to orange lips. See photos for difference between males and females. Males have tail streamers and females do not.
Best maintained in well-established reef or fish-only aquariums having wide-open swimming areas as those in this genus are mid water swimmers, and preferably with copious amounts of microalgae. Tankmates should be non-fin-nipping, peaceful species.
Requires a varied vegetable diet, including Spirulina, zucchini, broccoli, dried seaweed (Nori), and enriched vegetable flakes, and also some frozen meaty foods for planktivores, and require three or four feedings per day.
Taxonomy:
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Acanthuroidei
Family: Acanthuridae
Genus: Naso
FYI: One per tank.
Has a sharp forward pointing spine on each side of the caudal peduncle, which is fixed in an outward position, i.e., does not fold into a groove, as with other species in this family. Can cause damage to the hands of its keeper if handled carelessly and its best not to net this species, simply use a large clear plastic container to capture it when transferring it to another aquarium.
May quarrel with other species in its genus.
Those collected in the Indian Ocean have an orange dorsal and are called the Blond Naso.
They have a reputation for eating bubble algae (Valonia).
May jump out of uncovered aquariums.
Experience Level: Intermediate
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Herbivore
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: 250 gallons
Temperature Range: 72 - 81°F (22 - 27°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.025
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
