Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Likely Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Seychelles and Mauritius to the Hawaiian and Society Islands.
Size: 5 inches (12 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits areas over sandy and muddy bottoms and takes refuge in burrows when threatened and usually found at depths between 30 – 200 feet (10 – 60 m) where it feeds on benthic crustaceans/zooplankton.
General Husbandry: Occasionally seen in the trade, having an elongated eel-like body with orange and blue lengthwise stripes.
Can be maintained in either fish-only or reef aquariums having numerous hiding places, e.g., rocky crevices and a finely grained deep sand bed for hiding when threatened or sleeping at night. Will hover in open water, yet near the safety of an area where it can quickly retreat if threatened.
Should not be housed with aggressive fishes such as groupers, dottybacks, triggerfishes or aggressive angelfishes.
Requires a meaty diet, including fortified brine shrimp, mysis, and other meaty type marine fresh or frozen foods, which should be finely chopped and dispensed upstream so the water current brings the food to within the area it inhabits. Needs two feedings per day.
If difficult to get feeding in the beginning, try some live foods, such as adult fortified brine shrimp.
Taxonomy:
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Percoidei
Family: Microdesmidae
Genus: Gunnellichthys
FYI: Can be maintained in small groups.
Experience Level: Intermediate
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Carnivore
Coral Safe: Yes
Fish Safe: Yes
Invertebrate Safe: With caution
Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+
Aquarium Environment: Reef or fish-only aquarium
Tankmates: Peaceful
Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons
Temperature Range: 72 - 80°F (22 – 27°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
