Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Likely Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Southern Japan, Mariana, Marshall, Marcus, Wake, and Hawaiian Islands.
Size: 8 inches (20 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits lagoons and areas along outer reefs with dense coral growths where they live singly, in pairs or small, loose groups and usually found at depths between 10 - 150 feet (3 - 45 m) where it feeds mainly on filamentous algae.
General Husbandry: Common in the trade having a laterally compressed body with a small long snout, and bright yellow body and 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 aquarium unless all are introduced at the same time.
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.
Color may fade if it has an inadequate diet.
Experience Level: Beginner
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
.jpg "Zebrasoma flavescens (Yellow Tang)")
