Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Likely Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indian Ocean: Red Sea to South Africa and east to India, Java, and Cocos-Keeling Islands.
Size: 16 inches (40 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits sheltered inner reef areas where adults swim in pairs and juveniles live singly between rocks and corals and usually found at depths between 10 - 100 feet (3 - 30 m) where it feeds mainly on algae.
General Husbandry: Common in the trade having a laterally compressed body with a small long snout, and generally a light grey body with varying size yellow vertical stripes, and dark stripes and numerous dots on the head, with very large dorsal and anal fins.
Best maintained in well-established reef or fish-only aquariums having wide-open swimming areas and rocky crevices to seek shelter if needing to, and preferably with copious amounts of macro and microalgae. Tankmates should be non-fin-nipping species and quite peaceful, as those in this genus have large fins that make good targets for fin-nippers.
Requires a varied vegetable diet, including Spirulina, zucchini, broccoli, dried seaweed (Nori), and enriched vegetable flakes, and requires two or three feedings per day.
In fact, copious amounts of live macroalgae, e.g., Caulerpa, such as C. prolifera and C. mexicana is often quite helpful in keeping those in this genus well fed and healthy.
Taxonomy:
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Acanthuroidei
Family: Acanthuridae
Genus: Zebrasoma
FYI: One per tank.
Has a sharp forward pointing spine on each side of the caudal peduncle, which folds into a groove. Erected when excited. Handle with care!
May be aggressive towards others in the family, yet peaceful with other tankmates.
May nip stony and soft corals.
This species can be distinguished from the Indo-Pacific Sailfin by the white dots that cover its snout/head area.
Experience Level: Intermediate
Temperament: Semi-aggressive
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: 180 gallons
Temperature Range: 72 - 82°F (22 - 27°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.025
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
