Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Not Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Southern Japan south to Papua New Guinea and further south to northwest Australia.
Size: 8 inches (20 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits tidepools and holes and crevices with moderate surge currents in shallow rocky and coral reefs and is usually found between depths of 6 to 65 feet (2 – 20 m) where it feeds on smaller fishes.
General Husbandry: Rarely seen in the trade, having a dark reddish body with several pale vertical bars on the mid-body, and usually a bright red tail.
Best maintained in fish-only aquariums having some rocky hiding places/crevices to take shelter, as this species is somewhat secretive and very aggressive. Cannot be trusted with anything less dominating than ‘large’ eels, angelfishes, surgeonfishes, groupers, squirrelfishes, snappers, triggerfishes and rabbitfishes.
As to diet, products such as marine fish and crustacean flesh, clams, and other marine meaty foods should make up the majority of their diet. Therefore a meaty diet such as enriched chopped fresh fish or shrimp flesh, and/or frozen carnivore foods should be fed once daily.
Taxonomy:
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Percoidei
Family: Pseudochromidae
Subfamily: Pseudochrominae
Genus: Labracinus
FYI: Has been captive bred.
Give much thought to this species before placing it in your aquarium.
Experience Level: Intermediate/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: 75+ gallons
Temperature Range: 72 - 81°F (22 – 27°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
