Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Likely Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Central Pacific Ocean: Hawaiian and the Midway Islands.
Size: Male 7 inches (17 cm) - Female 4 inches (10 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits seaward reefs and usually found at depths between 50 – 400 feet (15 – 120 m) where it feeds on zooplankton and benthic invertebrate.
General Husbandry: Rarely seen in the trade, with the adult male having an overall brown body with blue spots on each scale and a bright orange head with blue spots. As for the female, its overall dark brown with a white spot on each scale and having a bright red tail with a white band at its base.
Can be maintained in either fish-only or reef aquariums with each having a fine (0.5 – 2 mm) substrate 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-based 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.
Not a good shipper.
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: 75 gallons
Temperature Range: 72- 82°F (22 – 28°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
