Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
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Fishy Bizness 

Assessors

Assessor macneilli

Whitley, 1935

Blue Assessor

Likely Reef Tank Suitable

Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable

Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Great Barrier Reef and New Caledonia.

Size: 2 inches (6 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits caves in shallow lagoon reefs where it often swims upside down and is usually found at depths between 6 to 65 feet (2 – 20 m) where it feeds on zooplankton.

General Husbandry: Occasionally seen in the trade and is entirely dark blue.

Can be maintained in reef or fish-only aquariums having many rocky hiding places/crevices to investigate or take shelter when needing to do so, as this species is shy and somewhat secretive. May continue to mostly hide if the aquarium contains moderately aggressive fishes, and if so, will not get its share of the foods when feeding time occurs. Must have peaceful tankmates.

As to diet, products such as enriched marine fish and crustacean flesh, clams, and other marine meaty foods/freeze-dried foods should be finely chopped and fed twice daily. Adult enriched live brine shrimp will also be accepted.

Taxonomy:

    Order: Perciformes

    Suborder: Percoidei

    Family: Plesiopidae

    Genus: Assessor

FYI: May be maintained in small groups.

An excellent reef aquarium fish!

    Experience Level: Beginner

    Temperament: Peaceful

    Diet: Carnivore

    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: 20+ gallons

    Temperature Range: 72 - 81°F (22 – 27°C)

    Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026

    pH: 8.0 - 8.5

 Assessor macneilli (Blue Assessor)
Photo © Bob Fenner
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San Francisco Bay Brand