Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Not Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Christmas Island in the eastern Indian Ocean to the Philippines, Ambon, and Guam Islands.
Size: 3 inches (7 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabit caves on steep drop-offs and usually found at depths between 3 to 100 feet (1 - 30 m) where it feeds mainly on benthic invertebrate.
General Husbandry: Occasionally seen in the trade, with a whitish body with numerous black spots mostly on the upper body and blue and yellow stripping on the snout. Lacks pelvic fins, but uses the pectoral fins for movement.
Best maintained in fish-only aquariums with live rock caves and crevices for browsing, and also wide-open swimming areas with peaceful, swift moving tankmates, such as damselfish.
Should not be housed with aggressive tankmates such as groupers, dottybacks, triggerfishes or angelfishes, as this is a somewhat slow moving species.
Requires a varied diet, i.e., finely chopped fish or shrimp flesh, krill, clams, squid, earthworms and/or carnivore frozen foods, along with some vegetable matter. Should have numerous/at least three daily feedings.
Taxonomy:
Order: Tetraodontiformes
Suborder: Tetraodontoidei
Family: Tetraodontidae
Subfamily: Canthigastrinae
Genus: Canthigaster
FYI: Will eat small ornamental shrimp, crabs, snails, and tubeworms.
Will nip stony corals.
One per aquarium unless a mated pair.
May need to be dewormed and have its teeth filed to prevent overgrowth.
Experience Level: Intermediate
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Omnivore
Coral Safe: No
Fish Safe: Yes
Invertebrate Safe: No
Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+
Aquarium Environment: Fish-only aquarium
Tankmates: Peaceful, and swifter
Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons
Temperature Range: 72 - 82°F (22 - 27°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
