Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Not Reef Tank Suitable
Not Suitable for Fish-Only Tank
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Red Sea to Hawaiian, Line, Marquesan, and Tuamotu Islands, north to Southern Japan, and south to Lord Howe Island.
Size: 9 inches (23 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits hard rubble surfaces or buries itself in sandy areas on reef flats at depths between about 3 to 70 feet (1 – 20 m) and basically feeds on small fishes and crustaceans.
General Husbandry: Has a row of dark blotches, sometimes with light centers along the body length and six small spots on the snout. Not collected for the trade.
Taxonomy:
Order: Aulopiformes
Suborder: Alepisauroidei
Family: Synodontidae
Subfamily: Synodontinae
Genus: Synodus
FYI: Those in this family are termed ‘Lizardfishes’ and are quick moving and voracious predators! Most reside either buried in the sand with only their head showing, or sitting on some form of the substrate waiting for a tasty meal to come close enough to be captured and eaten.
Highly territorial.
Tankmates must be large enough not to be eaten.
Basically unsuitable for the average home aquarium as they require live foods, e.g., live grass shrimp/small fishes.
Shown here for identification only.
Best displayed in ‘special species’ type aquariums/public aquarium displays.
