Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Likely Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Indonesia to Vanuatu and Palau in Micronesia.
Size: 2 inches (5 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits shallow coastal to deep outer reef drop-offs and stays near coral or rubble areas where it's usually found at depths from 3 to 50 feet (1 – 15 m) where it feeds on small worms and crustaceans/zooplankton.
General Husbandry: Common in the trade and quite attractive having the front portion of the body purple, and rear body half, including the tail, a bright yellow.
Be aware this species will attack not only larger fish, but also those thought to be even more aggressive! They may even do battle with larger triggerfish! Therefore, not recommended for anything but an aquarium designed for this species, which would be if having tankmates, large aggressive fishes such as larger angelfishes, surgeonfishes, squirrelfishes, eels, triggerfishes, and wrasses
Since they are extremely fast moving and secretive, if having to remove it from a reef aquarium with many hiding areas, it would be a major task!
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 finely chopped fresh fish or shrimp flesh, and/or frozen carnivore foods should be fed daily.
Adult enriched live brine shrimp and/or black worms (Lumbriculus variegatus) will also be greedily accepted.
Taxonomy:
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Percoidei
Family: Pseudochromidae
Subfamily: Pseudochrominae
Genus: Pictichromis
FYI: Extremely hardy and one of the most aggressive in the Dottyback family!
Experience Level: Intermediate
Temperament: Feisty/Aggressive
Diet: Carnivore
Coral Safe: Yes
Fish Safe: With caution
Invertebrate Safe: With caution
Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+
Aquarium Environment: Reef or fish-only aquarium
Tankmates: Aggressive/larger
Minimum Tank Size: 20+ gallons
Temperature Range: 72 - 81°F (22 – 27°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
