Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Likely Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Southern Japan, Taiwan, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and south to the Great Barrier Reef, and also in the Indian Ocean: Similan Islands, Andaman Sea, and Christmas Island.
Size: 6 inches (15 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits rocky bottoms along edges of lagoons, channels, and outer reef slopes at depths usually between 15 to 65 feet (5 – 20 m) where it remains in close contact with bottom areas. Feeds on zooplankton.
General Husbandry: Occasionally available in the trade, with the male having bluish frontal body, with the aft body reddish and sometimes with a yellow patch just behind the pectoral fins. Females tend to be reddish overall.
Can be maintained in reef or fish-only aquariums that should have ample crevices and caves, and peaceful tankmates.
As to diet, will eat most regular aquarium foods, e.g., finely chopped various frozen or fresh meaty foods such as mysis, squid, fish flesh, shrimp, clam, etc., and should be offered two to three times daily.
Sometimes difficult to get feeding, and if so, fortified live adult brine shrimp may be necessary to get them feeding.
Taxonomy:
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Labroidei
Family: Labridae
Genus: Cirrhilabrus
FYI: May hide for several days when first introduced, and also a good jumper, therefore covered aquariums, possibly with eggcrate, are necessary to prevent them from jumping out of the aquarium.
They don't bury themselves in the sand at night, as do many other wrasses. Instead, they may form a mucus cocoon similar to some parrotfishes and/or wedge themselves into a rock crevice. It should be noted the cocoon remnants do not seem to harm water quality or other aquarium inhabitants.
Males tend to lose their color if females are not present.
Experience Level: Beginner
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Carnivore
Coral Safe: Yes
Fish Safe: Yes
Invertebrate Safe: Yes
Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+
Aquarium Environment: Reef or fish-only aquarium
Tankmates: Peaceful
Minimum Tank Size: 55 gallons
Temperature Range: 72 - 82°F (22 – 27°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
