Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Not Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Endemic to Western Australia.
Size: 10 inches (25 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits holes and crevices in shallow rocky and coral reefs and is usually found between depths of 15 to 50 feet (5 – 15 m) where it feeds on smaller fishes.
General Husbandry: Rarely ever seen in the trade, having a dark bluish/purplish body with several pale horizontal dotted lines, with males having blue dots and females having brown dots.
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: Give much thought to this species before placing it in your aquarium. Also requires slightly cooler water than what is maintained in average aquariums.
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: Aggressive
Minimum Tank Size: 75+ gallons
Temperature Range: 68 - 75°F (20 – 24°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
