Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Likely Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Red Sea to South Africa and eastward to the Pitcairn Islands, north to Southern Japan, and south to New South Wales and Australia.
Size: 32 inches (80 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits offshore reefs and islands and is usually found in depths of about 3 – 1000 feet (1 – 300 m) where it feeds on smaller fishes and crustaceans.
General Husbandry: Rarely ever seen in the trade and having various color forms depending upon area of collection and age of specimen. Juveniles often quite attractive having a yellowish-tan upper body with darker spots, which is divided at the mid-body level by a mottled black band, with the lower body a pale yellowish white with darker spots. Adults tend to have a darkish purplish brown body with whitish spots, with the head area often a lighter color, frequently with blue spots.
Caution, …because of its juvenile attractive colors, its occasionally shows up in the trade, nevertheless, when reaching adulthood, this species becomes far too large for home aquariums.
Can be maintained in ‘large’ reef or fish-only aquariums with wide-open swimming areas.
As to diet, these are carnivores and require products such as marine fish and crustacean flesh, clams, and other marine meaty foods, which should make up the majority of their diet. Therefore a meaty diet such as enriched chopped fresh fish or shrimp flesh, and/or frozen carnivore foods should be fed once every other day.
May be difficult to feed in the early days in the aquarium and if so, (if small live marine fish are not available) live glass/grass shrimp and/or small crabs, e.g., fiddler crabs may be needed to sustain the fish.
Taxonomy:
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Percoidei
Family: Serranidae
Subfamily: Epinephelinae
Genus: Variola
FYI: Not safe with smaller fishes, crabs, and small ornamental crustaceans.
One per aquarium.
Enhanced filtration is recommended as these fish produce a large amount of waste products.
As to live foods, occasional small live mollies and/or guppies can provide for that natural feeding excitement found in the wild should live marine fish not be available. Nevertheless, feeding small freshwater live fish should be considered a special treat and not become a steady diet since they lack the fatty acids that marine fish need to stay healthy.
Also, keep in mind that feeder goldfish, which cannot survive but a few minutes in seawater, also carry many different bacteria, fungi, and protozoa that can cause parasitic and infectious diseases. Furthermore, feeder goldfish can also cause blockage in the digestive track and/or kidney along with liver damage due to fatty degeneration in the consuming fish. And this will ultimately lead to the consumer’s death. In fact, fatty liver degeneration is a common cause of death in cases where marine fish are fed a diet that primarily consists of goldfish (as with Lionfish for example). Also, its possible the large air bladder in the goldfish can upset the internal balance in this fish, sometimes causing it to float at the surface, possibly killing it.
Experience Level: Intermediate
Temperament: Semi-aggressive
Diet: Carnivore
Coral Safe: Yes
Fish Safe: With caution
Invertebrate Safe: With caution
Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+
Aquarium Environment: Reef or fish-only aquarium
Tankmates: Moderately aggressive
Minimum Tank Size: 300+ gallons
Temperature Range: 72 - 81°F (22 – 27°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
