Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Likely Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Northern Red Sea, east to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Caroline Islands, and Society Islands.
Size: 4 inches (10 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits shallow sandy and rubble zones in lagoons and on patch reefs and fore-reef slopes at depths between 3 - 100 feet (1 - 30 m) where it feeds mainly on copepods.
General Husbandry: Rarely seen in the trade, having a reddishsh body with black patch on the chest beginning at the pectoral fin.
Those in this genus move by crawling over the substrate, not open water column swimmers. They are best maintained in aquariums, especially reef aquariums, with minimum water currents, as this is also a slow moving species. Aquarium environment should have several caves where it can take shelter as needed. Tankmates must be quite peaceful, as pipefish make, good targets for fin-nipping species.
Even though only a live food consumer in the wild, a meaty diet such as enriched live adult brine shrimp and/or enriched frozen brine shrimp, mysis, and krill will usually suffice and should be offered twice daily by dispensing it up stream so the water current will slowly carry it towards the species.
May be difficult to feed in the early days in the aquarium and if so, live enriched adult brine shrimp should be offered several times daily. Over time, it may learn to accept various frozen foods.
Taxonomy:
Order: Gasterosteiformes
Suborder: Syngnathoidei
Family: Syngnathidae
Subfamily: Syngnathinae
Genus: Corythoichthys
FYI: Those in this genus are often referred to as ‘Dragon Pipefishes.’
This is a slow moving fish that can easily get sucked into an open intake siphon; therefore these type intakes must have a strainer on their intake areas.
Experience Level: Intermediate
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Carnivore
Coral Safe: Yes
Fish Safe: Yes
Invertebrate Safe: With caution
Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+
Aquarium Environment: Reef or fish only aquarium
Tankmates: Peaceful
Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons
Temperature Range: 74 - 80°F (23 – 27°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
