Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Likely Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Red Sea and East Africa to New Caledonia, north to Southern Japan, and also the Mariana Islands in Micronesia.
Size: 15 inches (38 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits mud flats, seagrass beds, and stands of macroalgae in coastal bays, lagoons and estuaries at depths between 3 - 130 feet (1 - 40 m) where it feeds mainly on zooplankton.
General Husbandry: Rarely seen in the trade and has varible color forms, as it can be overall white, yellow, brown or black, all with small dark spots on the body.
Best maintained in large aquariums with minimum water currents, as this is a slow moving species. Aquarium environment should have sufficient stands of macroalgae and/or tall corals, such as gorgonians, where it can take shelter as needed. Quite shy, especially when first introduced into the aquarium. 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: Trachyrhamphus
FYI: 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.
Sometimes the tail is used to ‘anchor’ the specimen into substrate areas where currents are overly strong.
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: 50 gallons
Temperature Range: 72 - 80°F (22 – 27°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
