Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Likely Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Christmas Island in the eastern Indian Ocean to the Solomon Islands, north to Southern Japan, south to New Caledonia.
Size: 4 inches (9 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits sandy lagoons and inshore reefs around rock or coral outcrops at depths between 3 to about 15 feet (1 – 5 m) and feed mainly on filamentous algae and planktonic crustaceans.
General Husbandry: Occassionaly seen in the trade, with adults having a brownish body and fins, with a black eye spot edged in white on the rear dorsal fin. Juveniles, which are quite attractive, have a bluish body topped in yellow with a similar located eye spot.
Best maintained in aquaria having live rock with growths of various forms of algae, numerous hiding places and aggressive tankmates, e.g., dottybacks, hawkfishes, large wrasses, large angelfishes and surgeonfishes, and triggerfishes.
As to diet, will eat most regular aquarium foods, e.g., live fortified brine shrimp and/or finely chopped various frozen or fresh meaty foods such as mysis, squid, fish flesh, shrimp, clam, etc., and plant material, e.g., flake foods, especially those containing Spirulina and offered once or twice daily.
Taxonomy:
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Labroidei
Family: Pomacentridae
Subfamily: Pomacentrinae
Genus: Pomacentrus
FYI: This is an aggressive species that will attack larger aggressive tankmates! It also digs under rocks to provide itself hiding areas.
One per aquarium.
Experience Level: Intermediate
Temperament: Aggressive
Diet: Omnivore
Coral Safe: Yes
Invertebrate Safe: With caution
Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+
Aquarium Environment: Reef or fish-only aquarium
Tankmates: Aggressive
Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons
Temperature Range: 74 - 84°F (23 – 28°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
