Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Likely Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Mozambique to Persian Gulf, north to Southern Japan, and south to eastern Australia.
Size: 6 inches (15 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits silty bottom areas of bays and seagrass beds on coastal reefs and estuaries and is usually found at depths between 3 - 200 feet (1 - 60 m) where it feeds strictly on small bottom located crustaceans.
General Husbandry: Occasionally collected for the trade as its somewhat rare in the wild. Can be almost black when on dark muddy bottom areas, yet is lighter when on paler surfaces.
Best maintained in aquariums with wide-open/quite extensive substrate areas, as this species only feeds on crustaceans it finds directly on the substrate surfaces. In other words, will not swim into the water column to capture prey. It’s also quite peaceful/shy, therefore tankmates should also be quite peaceful, as fast moving aggressive tankmates will annoy this species, possibly pick on it, and prevent it from feeding.
As to diet, requires a meaty diet of live foods only, e.g., enriched brine shrimp and grass shrimp, and be fed five to ten times a day.
Taxonomy:
Order: Gasterosteiformes
Suborder: Syngnathoidei
Family: Pegasidae
Genus: Pegasus
FYI: Often an extremely poor shipper.
Unsuitable for the average home aquarium.
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: 100 gallons
Temperature Range: 74 - 80°F (23 – 27°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
