Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Likely Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: East Africa to the Line and Society Islands, north to Southern Japan, and south to the Great Barrier Reef.
Size: 10 inches (25 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits crevices on lagoon reefs, reef flats and outer reef slopes during daylight hours and can be found at depths between 3 - 100 feet (1 - 30 m), and feeds only at night on crabs, shrimp and small fishes.
General Husbandry: Uncommon in the trade, having a purplish red body.
Best maintained in aquariums with several caves/hiding areas large enough to house the adult-sized specimen, as those in this family grow to adulthood quite fast. The aquarium should also be dimly lit, as this is a nocturnal species, preferring to hide throughout daytime hours and feed at night. If maintained in a brightly lit aquarium, i.e., reef aquarium, it should also have sufficient caves as noted above, but will be far less visible in daylight hours. Tankmates must be large enough not to be eaten, as they will also consume smaller fishes.
Requires a meaty diet such as enriched chopped fish or shrimp flesh, mysis, frozen brine shrimp, and/or frozen carnivore foods with one or two feedings per day.
May be difficult to feed in the early days in the aquarium due to its nocturnal feeding habits, and if so, live foods, e.g., live enriched brine shrimp, grass shrimp, black worms (Lumbriculus variegatus), baby mollies and/or guppies should be offered. Over time, it will learn to accept frozen foods like mysis, krill and brine shrimp more readily when offered to others in the aquarium.
Taxonomy:
Order: Beryciformes
Suborder: Holocentroidei
Family: Holocentridae
Genus: Sargocentron
FYI: A highly secretive species that may be extremely difficult to maintain in captivity!
Will eat ornamental shrimp.
Sensitive to tapping on aquarium side panels.
Has spines on their head and gills, which can come entangled in nets and also a large preopercular spine, which can inflict a wound if mishandled by the aquarist.
Experience Level: Intermediate
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Carnivore
Coral Safe: Yes
Fish Safe: With caution
Invertebrate Safe: With caution
Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+
Aquarium Environment: Reef or fish only aquarium
Tankmates: Peaceful
Minimum Tank Size: 100 gallons
Temperature Range: 72 - 80°F (22 – 27°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
