Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Likely Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Western Atlantic Ocean: Florida to Venezuela.
Size: 3 inches (6 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits shallow sheltered rocky coastal areas.
General Husbandry: Rarely seen in the home aquarium trade.
Basically stays still, usually under ledges during daylight hours and when evening arrives, begins its search for food, usually coralline algae.
Can be maintained in a reef or fish-only aquariums having a wide covering of coralline algae, as this is the species main food.
Has a desire for calcium carbonate, which is a mainly coralline alga. Therefore can be given pieces of cuttlebone or algae blocks to prevent it from consuming coralline algae, which most aquarists cherish. Place in aquarium in early evening hours.
In aquariums somewhat devoid of algae, small plaster-of-Paris feeding stones that contain seaweed and algae can also sometimes help lengthen lifespans of these urchins in aquariums.
Sheets of Nori weighted down with small rocks may also help keep this species well fed.
Will actually grind a depression into rock and use that areas to hide in during daylight hours. Can be somewhat destructive to live rock formations.
Taxonomy:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Echinodermata
Class: Echinoides
Order: Echinoida
Family: Echinometridae
Genus: Echinometra
FYI: Vulnerable to sudden salinity/specific gravity changes.
Triggerfish and large wrasses will eat these urchins.
Experience Level: Intermediate
Diet: Herbivore
Aquarium Environment: Reef or fish-only aquarium
Coral Safe: Yes
Fish Safe: Yes
Invertebrate Safe: Yes
Acclimation Time: Sensitive to specific gravity/salinity changes, therefore be sure to adjust the bag's water to that of the aquarium in which it will be placed by slowly adding small amounts of aquarium water to the bag every few minutes. In most cases, this process should take at least 15 minutes.
Aquarium Hardiness: Moderately hardy
Temperature Range: 72 - 79°F (22 - 26°C)
Minimum Tank Size: 60 gallons
Specific Gravity: 1.023 - 1.025
pH: 8.0 - 8.4
.jpg "Echinometra viridia (Reef Urchin)")
