Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Not Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: East Africa to Niue, north to Southern Japan, and south to the Great Barrier Reef.
Size: 28 inches (72 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits coastal lagoons, fringing reefs, reef channels, reef faces and fore-reef slopes and spends the daytime in caves and under ledges at depths between 3 – 100 feet (1 – 30 m) and all, juveniles and adults, feed mainly at night on shrimp, crabs, snails, worms and various other benthic invertebrates and small fishes.
General Husbandry: Occasionally seen in the trade, and quite attractive as a juvenile, however undergoes a dramatic color and physical size transformations as it grows into adulthood resulting in a huge, somewhat drab specimen!
The juvenile has an orange-tannish body with many large white patches edged in black and swim in a up and down pattern similar to that of flatworms such as the Spanish Dancer. As it moves into adulthood, becomes massive with a whitish body covered with many black spots and having large white lips.
Requires a large fish-only aquarium with wide-open swimming areas and areas/caves to take shelter when feeling threatened/during daytime. As to diet, newcomers are often shy and difficult to get feeding, therefore require fortified live brine shrimp and/or live glass/grass shrimp to get feeding. Once accepting aquarium foods, a wide variety of frozen and fresh meaty foodstuffs (chopped squid, fish flesh, scallops, shrimp, clam, etc.) can be offered and fed several times daily. Any ornamental crustaceans and small fish in the aquarium will also be consumed.
Taxonomy:
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Percoidei
Family: Lutjanidae
Genus: Plectorhinchus
FYI: Usually seen as juveniles in the trade, however, they grow fast and soon outgrow most hobbyist aquariums.
May stir up the substrate looking for food.
Experience Level: Intermediate
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Carnivore
Coral Safe: Yes
Invertebrate Safe: No
Fish Safe: With caution
Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+
Aquarium Environment: Fish-only aquarium
Tankmates: Peaceful or non-aggressive
Minimum Tank Size: 200 gallons
Temperature Range: 72 - 82°F (22 – 28°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 -1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
