Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Not Reef Tank Suitable
Not Suitable for Fish-Only Tank
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Red Sea, South Africa to Southern Japan, south to Australia.
Size: 20 inches (50 cm)
Natural Environment: Rocky coral reef environments and usually seen at depths between 3 to 50 feet (1 - 15 m).
General Husbandry: Occasionally seen in the trade.
Safe with anemones and corals, but not with small fishes.
As with most lobsters, they are extremely shy and once in the aquarium prefer to hide in caves during the day, therefore provide some such enclosures. After the lights go out they will search for food, including small fish.
Using long handled tweezers, feed small strips of fish or shrimp flesh once daily.
Taxonomy:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Family: Palinuridae
Genus: Panulirus
FYI: Undemanding when it comes to water quality. Unless you have a mated pair, it is unsafe to keep more than one in the aquarium.
May undermine existing rockwork, as they like to burrow.
Must be removed if aquarium will be treated with copper-based medications.
More a local human food species than an aquarium species.
Caution, gets large quickly!
Experience Level: Intermediate
Diet: Carnivore
Temperament: Semi-aggressive
Aquarium Environment: Reef or fish-only aquarium
Coral Safe: Yes
Fish Safe: With caution
Invertebrate Safe: With caution
Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+
Aquarium Hardiness: Moderate
Alkalinity: 2.5 - 3.0 meq/l
Temperature Range: 72 - 79°F (22 - 26°C)
Lighting: PAR 150
Water Movement: WM 1 - 2
Specific Gravity: 1.023 - 1.025
pH: 8.0 - 8.4
