Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Not Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indian Ocean: Sri Lanka and Maldives to Java and north to Andaman Sea.
Size: 7 inches (17 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits reef flats, reef faces, and fore-reef slopes rich in coral growths at depths between 3 – 80 feet (1 – 25 m) and feeds on zooplankton, crabs, worms, tunicates/sea squirts and other invertebrates.
General Husbandry: Rarely seen in the trade. Has a white body with a browish black face, tannish slanted aft body band, black half height mid body band, black anal fin, clear caudal fin, and a partially yellow dorsal fin.
Best maintained in larger peaceful fish-only aquariums, especially those with lots of open swimming space, and having lots of live rock to browse. As to diet, may be somewhat difficult to get feeding, therefore, beginning with live enriched brine shrimp and live black worms (Lumbriculus variegatus) should first be tried and offered several times daily. Once feeding regularly various frozen meaty foods such as mysis and enriched brine shrimp can be offered.
Should there be a problem getting this species to feed, small human consumption clams/black mussels purchased in local grocery stores and placed on the half-shell in the aquarium may help entice it to begin feeding.
Can be maintained with others its genus, or as a mated pair, yet all should be introduced at the same time.
Taxonomy:
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Percoidei
Family: Chaetodontidae
Genus: Heniochus
FYI: Grows a hump on the forehead and a horn in front of each eye that is used in head to head combat for dominance in the aquarium among similar species.
Pressing some soft foods into openings/crevices on a piece of old dead coral skeleton can sometimes encourage finicky eaters to begin feeding.
Experience Level: Professional
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Carnivore
Coral Safe: With caution
Invertebrate Safe: No
Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+
Aquarium Environment: Fish-only aquarium
Tankmates: Peaceful or non-aggressive
Minimum Tank Size: 100 gallons
Temperature Range: 74 - 82°F (23 – 28°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 -1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
