Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Likely Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indian Ocean: Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
Size: 3 inches (7 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits holes and crevices in coral heads and is usually found at depths between 6 – 100 feet (2 – 30 m) where it feeds mainly on small crustaceans.
General Husbandry: Occasionally seen in the trade, having a pale blue body with a narrow band of yellow on the upper body from the snout to the caudal peduncle. Colors vary somewhat depending upon age of specimen and mating seasons.
Can be maintained in a reef or fish-only aquarium, with either having many rocky hiding places/crevices to investigate or take shelter when needing to do so, as this species is extremely shy/secretive. Will continue to hide and only leave hiding places to feed. Even then, due to its secretiveness, may starve to death if the aquarium has slightly aggressive tankmates. Will never become a more outgoing/social tankmate, i.e., swimming in the open with other tankmates.
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: Pseudochromis
FYI: Not safe with small ornamental crustaceans.
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!
Captive bred.
Experience Level: Intermediate
Temperament: Semi-aggressivel
Diet: Carnivore
Coral Safe: Yes
Fish Safe: Yes
Invertebrate Safe: With caution
Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+
Aquarium Environment: Reef or fish-only aquarium
Tankmates: Peaceful
Minimum Tank Size: 30+ gallons
Temperature Range: 72 - 81°F (22 – 27°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
