Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
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Ocean Nutrition 

Plectroglyphidodon

Plectroglyphidodon johnstonianus

Fowler & Ball, 1924

Johnston Damsel

Not Reef Tank Suitable

Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable

Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: East Africa to Hawaiian, Marquesas, and Pitcairn Islands, north to Southern Japan, and south to Lord Howe and Rapa Islands.

Size: 5 inches (14 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits lagoon reefs, reef channels, and outer reef faces at depths between 3 to about 40 feet (1 – 12 m) and feeds on stony coral polyps, sea anemones, crustaceans, small fishes, hydroids, and filamentous algae.

General Husbandry: Rarely seen in the trade, having a whitish yellowish body with a black vertical band on the rear body.

Should be housed with very aggressive tankmates, e.g., dottybacks, hawkfishes, large wrasses, large angelfishes and surgeonfishes, and triggerfishes.

As to diet, a meaty diet, e.g., live fortified brine shrimp and/or finely chopped various frozen or fresh meaty foods such as mysis, squid, fish flesh, shrimp, clam and plant material, e.g., flake foods, especially those containing Spirulina should be offered several times daily.

Taxonomy:

    Order: Perciformes

    Suborder: Labroidei

    Family: Pomacentridae

    Subfamily: Pomacentrinae

    Genus: Plectroglyphidodon

FYI: Not suitable for reef aquariums.

Will pester/annoy peaceful species.

Easy to keep well fed, yet problematic as to tankmates!

Must have aggressive tankmates.

One per aquarium.

Experience Level: Intermediate

Temperament: Feisty/belligerent

Diet: Omnivore

Coral Safe: No

Invertebrate Safe: No

Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+

Aquarium Environment: Fish-only aquarium

Tankmates: Aggressive

Minimum Tank Size: 55 gallons

Temperature Range: 74 - 84°F (23 – 28°C)

Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026

pH: 8.0 - 8.5

 Plectroglyphidodon johnstonianus (Johnston Damsel)
Photo © Mary Jane Adams
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