Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Not Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
Size: 5 inches (13 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits coastal reefs and sheltered lagoons with poor growths of coral at a depth of 15 to 150 feet (5 – 45 m) and mainly feeds on sponges and hydroids. Adults occur singly or in pairs, while juveniles are solitary.
General Husbandry: This is a pretty species, which is quite similar to others in this genus, having a silvery-white body with several wide brownish vertical bands on the body. However, this species has two white edged black eyespots, one on the rear dorsal, the other on lower anal fin, hence its common names. It’s seldom seen in the trade.
Adapts quite easily in fish-only community aquariums, with its trustworthyness in reef aquariums an unknown, as there’s not much hobbyist information on that aspect. Yet, is known to consume small decorative tubeworms and other useful small worms and microfauna.
Nevertheless, it adapts quite easily to aquarium foods, and a meaty diet of live fortified brine shrimp, black worms (Lumbriculus variegatus), red worms (genus Tubifex) and/or frozen meaty foods such as mysis are usually eagerly accepted and should be offered several times daily. Small human consumption clams/black mussels purchased in local grocery stores and placed on the half-shell in the aquarium is another eagerly accepted foodstuff.
Taxonomy:
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Percoidei
Family: Chaetodontidae
Genus: Coradion
FYI: Preferably maintained without others in the same genus, except as a male-female pair, as it can become quite territorial and battle others for territorial rights.
Pressing some soft foods into openings/crevices on a piece of old dead coral skeleton can sometimes encourage finicky eaters to begin feeding.
Experience Level: Intermediate
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Carnivore
Coral Safe: No
Invertebrate Safe: No
Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+
Aquarium Environment: Fish-only aquarium.
Tankmates: Peaceful or non-aggressive
Minimum Tank Size: 100 gallons
Temperature Range: 72 - 82°F (22 – 27°C).
Specific Gravity: 1.020 -1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
