Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Not Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Southwest Pacific Ocean: Lord Howe Island, northern New South Wales and southern Queensland, Australia and New Zealand.
Size: 7 inches (17 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits rocky coastal reefs at depths of 10 – 500 feet (3 – 150 m) and often found in caves at depths of about 70 feet (20 m). Feeds on coral polyps, tubeworms, crustaceans, sponges and tunicates. Adults occur singly or in pairs, while juveniles are solitary.
General Husbandry: Has a whitish body with five vertical blackish body and headbands, one passing through the eye, and yellowish dorsal, anal and tail fins. Very rarely seen in the trade, and even though attractive, it's a somewhat cool water species requiring a temperature in the low 70’s. Furthermore, not much is known about its diet in captivity, except to say a meaty diet of live fortified brine shrimp, black worms (Lumbriculus variegatus) and/or frozen meaty foods such as mysis should suffice and be offered several times daily.
Its also said not to be reef safe, as it normally feeds on corals and various invertebrates in the wild. Better maintained in a cool water fish-only aquarium.
Should there be difficulty in getting it to feed, recommend supplying it live foods such as feeder shrimp and bloodworms, and also small human consumption clams/black mussels purchased in local grocery stores and placed on the half-shell in the aquarium. Over time, frozen foods like mysis and brine shrimp should then suffice.
Taxonomy:
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Percoidei
Family: Chaetodontidae
Genus: Amphichaetodon
FYI: Preferably maintained without others in the same genus, except as a male-female pair, as those in this family 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 also sometimes encourage finicky eaters to begin feeding.
Experience Level: Professional
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: 66 - 75°F (19 – 24°C).
Specific Gravity: 1.020 -1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
