Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Likely Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Red Sea and East Africa to Tonga and the Line Islands.
Size: 8 inches (20 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits caves and crevices at depths between 10 to 150 feet (3 – 45 m) during daytime hours in shallow reefs and feeds during nighttime hours on small fishes and crustaceans.
General Husbandry: Occasionally seen in the trade and quite attractive with a brownish-black body with numerous white dots and a large black eyespot edged in white on the upper aft body.
Can be maintained in reef or fish-only aquariums having many rocky hiding places/crevices to investigate or take shelter when needing to do so, as this species is shy and somewhat secretive. Remains shy, especially in brightly lit aquariums. May continue to mostly hide if the aquarium contains moderately aggressive fishes, and if so, will not get its share of the foods when feeding time occurs. Must have peaceful tankmates.
As to diet, products such as enriched chopped fresh fish or shrimp flesh, and/or frozen carnivore foods should be fed. And because these are not overly active fish, their metabolism is somewhat low, so feeding once every other day should suffice nicely. Best to be feed in late afternoons or early morning hours.
May be difficult to feed in the early days in the aquarium and if so, (if small live marine fish/small mollies are not available) live glass/grass shrimp, fortified adult brine shrimp and/or small crabs, e.g., fiddler crabs may be needed to sustain the fish.
Taxonomy:
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Percoidei
Family: Plesiopidae
Genus: Calloplesiops
FYI: A very hardy species!
The false eyespot that gives the fish a moray eel appearance, which helps discourages predators.
May completely hide for the first several days in the aquarium.
Experience Level: Beginner
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: 60+ gallons
Temperature Range: 72 - 81°F (22 – 27°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
