Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Likely Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Red Sea and South Africa to Easter Island, north to Japan, and south to Australia.
Size: Male 16 inches (40 cm) – Female 11 inches (27 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits surge zones on coral or rocky reefs and often found at depths between 10 – 100 feet (3 – 30 m) where it feeds on zooplankton and benthic invertebrate.
General Husbandry: Rarely seen in the trade, with the male having an olive brown or green body with blue vertical lines on each scale, a blue green bar near the pectoral fins and blue lines between the eyes. There are also blue markings on the dorsal, anal, and caudal fins. Females are usually brown on the back and becoming reddish towards the belly with blue lines on the head and blue dots on each scale.
Can be maintained in either fish-only or reef aquariums with each having a fine substrate (0.5 – 2 mm) of at least 4 inches (10 cm) in depth.
Requires a meaty diet, including fortified brine shrimp, mysis, black worms and other meaty type marine frozen foods. Needs two or three feedings per day. May be very difficult to get feeding in the beginning, and if so, try some live foods, such as black worms (Lumbriculus variegatus) or adult fortified brine shrimp.
Taxonomy:
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Labroidei
Family: Labridae
Genus: Anampses
FYI: Should only be kept in aquaria with a deep sandbed as they bury themselves at night, and when so, may often disturb bottom dwelling corals such as brain corals and Heliofungia corals.
These timid wrasses should be considered marginal reef or fish-only aquarium fishes, as they can be difficult to maintain for any length of time.
Will eat ornamental crustaceans and fanworms, and may pick on Tridacna clams.
One male per aquarium.
May jump out of uncovered aquariums.
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: 180 gallons
Temperature Range: 74- 82°F (23 – 28°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
