Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Not Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Eastern Pacific Ocean: Gulf of California to northern Peru, including the Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo and Galapagos Islands.
Size: 9 inches (22 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits deep wall crevices and areas under ledges on rocky reefs and is found at depths between 100 – 800 feet (30 – 240 m) where it feeds mainly on small fishes and crustaceans.
General Husbandry: Rarely ever seen in the trade, having a tan body with a central dark brown horizontal ban edged in yellow.
Best maintained in a dimly lit cool water fish-only aquarium having many rocky hiding places/crevices to investigate or take shelter, as most in this family are quite shy/secretive. May hide for several days upon entering the aquarium, yet will become bolder when hungry and then make an appearance, especially at feeding time. However, may never become a more outgoing/social tankmate, i.e., swimming in the open with other tankmates.
As to diet, products such as marine fish and crustacean flesh, clams, and other marine meaty foods should make up the majority of their diet. Therefore a meaty diet such as enriched finely chopped fresh fish or shrimp flesh, and/or frozen carnivore foods should be fed every other day, or about three times per week in well-established aquariums. In newly established aquariums, feed once every day.
Taxonomy:
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Percoidei
Family: Serranidae
Subfamily: Liopropomatinae
Genus: Liopropoma
FYI: Not safe with small ornamental crustaceans.
Collected at depths below 100 feet (30 m), and may be seen more often if maintained in a dimly lit tank.
Experience Level: Intermediate
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Carnivore
Coral Safe: Yes
Fish Safe: With caution/will eat smaller fishes
Invertebrate Safe: With caution/will eat small crustaceans
Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+
Aquarium Environment: Fish-only aquarium
Tankmates: Peaceful to moderately aggressive
Minimum Tank Size: 75+ gallons
Temperature Range: 68 - 73°F (20 – 23°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
