Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Likely Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Papua New Guinea to the Tuamotu Islands, north to the Marianas, and south to the Great Barrier Reef.
Size: 6 inches (15 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits lagoon patch reefs, reef crests, reef faces and fore-reef s at depths between 3 to about 100 feet (1 – 30 m) and usually found in small groups inhabiting various anemones where it feeds mainly on planktonic crustaceans (copepods, mysis, and shrimp larvae), and algae.
General Husbandry: Rarely seen in the trade, yet quite hardy but also quite aggressive, having a blackish head and body with yellow on the snout and belly and two bluish white bands with all fins, except the tail which is white, a yellowish orange.
Best maintained in aquaria having live rock, hiding places, macroalgae, semi-aggressive tankmates, and with or without a hosting anemone. And should a hosting anemone be offered, this species becomes even more aggressive to others in its family or other families.
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 should be offered once or twice daily.
Taxonomy:
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Labroidei
Family: Pomacentridae
Subfamily: Amphiprioninae
Genus: Amphiprion
FYI: In the wild, its hosting anemones are: Heteractis auora, Heteractis crispa, Heteractis magnifica, Entacmaea quadricolor, Stichodactyla haddoni and Stichodactyla mertensii.
If maintained with a hosting anemone, aquarium size should be >50 gallons.
Does not ship well.
Females are larger than males.
If the female is removed, the male will change sex and one of the juveniles will become the new functioning male.
One per aquarium unless a mated pair.
A member of the Clarkii Complex.
Experience Level: Intermediate
Temperament: Semi-aggressive
Diet: Omnivore
Coral Safe: Yes
Invertebrate Safe: With caution
Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+
Aquarium Environment: Reef or fish-only aquarium
Tankmates: Semi-aggressive
Minimum Tank Size: 75 gallons
Temperature Range: 74 - 82°F (23 – 27°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
