Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Not Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Widespread in the Indo-Pacific Ocean.
Size: 32 inches (80 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits deep offshore reefs and usually found at depths between 30 – 400 feet (10– 120 m) where it feeds on benthic hard-shelled invertebrate.
General Husbandry: Rarely seen in the trade with these drab adults having a brownish body with numerous light brown to yellow spots on the head, a pale somewhat yellow vertical bar on the upper mid-body, and a yellowish tail. Juveniles, which are attractive, are pale brown overall with a narrow white vertical mid-body band and wide dark brown band. Its tail lobes are edged in yellow, and there is a white spot on the caudal peduncle.
Best maintained in fish-only aquariums, as this is an aggressive species also gets quite large. Provide hiding places and lots of open swimming area. Preferable tankmates are groupers, angelfishes, moray eels, hawkfishes, and moderately aggressive triggerfishes.
Requires a meaty diet, including fortified brine shrimp, mysis, black worms and other meaty type marine-based frozen foods, including flake foods, and should be fed two or three times per day.
Taxonomy:
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Labroidei
Family: Labridae
Genus: Bodianus
FYI: Due to its adult size, an unsuitable species for most home aquariums - more a public aquarium fish, as it requires a huge tank!
Will annoy smaller peaceful species and eat those smaller than itself.
Will disturb sandbeds by blowing jets of water into it to find buried prey.
Usually sleep under rock shelves, on or under a coral branch, in a crevice, or directly on the sand surface.
Do not have any similar colored species in the aquarium, as this species will become very aggressive towards it. One per aquarium.
Experience Level: Professional
Temperament: Aggressive
Diet: Carnivore
Coral Safe: Yes
Fish Safe: With caution
Invertebrate Safe: With caution
Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+
Aquarium Environment: Fish-only aquarium
Tankmates: Moderately aggressive/aggressive
Minimum Tank Size: 600+ gallons
Temperature Range: 72- 82°F (22 – 27°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
