Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Not Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: East Africa to Hawaiian Islands, Line and Tuamotu Islands, north to Yaeyama Islands.
Size: 12 inches (30 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits shallow sandy and muddy substrates in estuaries and lagoons at depths between 3 - 15 feet (1 – 5 m) and mainly feeds on crabs, shrimps, and worms.
General Husbandry: Rarely ever seen in the trade, and has an elongated silvery white body with three thin horizontal orange lines, and five or six black bands on its tail.
Best maintained in large fish-only aquariums with wide-open swimming and unencumbered substrate areas. As to diet, feed a wide variety of frozen and fresh meaty foodstuffs (chopped squid, scallops, fish flesh, shrimp, clam, etc.) at least several times daily. Will also consume ornamental crustaceans in the aquarium, and possibly small fishes.
May need live glass/ghost shrimp and live black worms (Lumbriculus variegatus) to get feeding.
Taxonomy:
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Percoidei
Family: Mullidae
Genus: Upeneus
FYI: This species does not probe the substrate, it uses its barbels to find shrimp and crabs in the crevices of rubble, therefore will not stir the aquarium’s substrate.
Sometimes sold in the trade as the ‘Assorted Goatfish.’
Experience Level: Intermediate
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Carnivore
Coral Safe: Yes
Invertebrate Safe: No
Fish Safe: With caution
Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+
Aquarium Environment: Fish-only aquarium
Tankmates: Peaceful or non-aggressive
Minimum Tank Size: 150 gallons
Temperature Range: 70 - 79°F (21 – 26°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 -1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
