Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Not Reef Tank Suitable
Not Suitable for Fish-Only Tank
Range: Western Atlantic Ocean: Southern Florida, Bermuda, and the Gulf of Mexico to northern South America.
Size: 6 inches (15 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits fringing reefs, lagoon coral heads or patch reefs, and back reefs at depths between 3 to about 15 feet (1– 5 m) where juveniles feed on zooplankton, and adults mainly feed on filamentous algae and somewhat on zooplankton.
General Husbandry: Rarely seen in the trade, and named for it extra long anal fin. Juveniles are quite attractive having a yellow body with blue on top of their head and dorsal, sometimes with blue stripes within the head area and a black eyespot edged in blue at the rear of the dorsal fin. Adults are quite drab, simply a dark greyish.
Best maintained by professional aquarists in large aquariums having live rock with growths of various forms of algae, hiding places, and very aggressive tankmates.
As to diet, plant material (adults main food in the wild), e.g., flake foods, especially those containing Spirulina and Nori, combined with 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., mainly for juveniles, should be offered once or twice daily.
Taxonomy: ul>
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Labroidei
Family: Pomacentridae
Subfamily: Pomacentrinae
Genus: Stegastes
FYI: Mostly unsuitable for home aquariums, as this species is very aggressive, besides unattractive as an adult, and may kill its tankmates unless they are extremely aggressive and larger.
Experience Level: Professional
Temperament: Aggressive
Diet: Omnivore
Coral Safe: Yes
Invertebrate Safe: With caution
Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+
Aquarium Environment: Neither home reef or fish-only aquarium
Tankmates: Aggressive
Minimum Tank Size: 75 gallons
Temperature Range: 74 - 84°F (23 – 28°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
