Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
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Two Little Fishies 

Liopropoma

Liopropoma mowbrayi

Woods & Kanazawa, 1951

Ridgeback Basslet, Cave Bass

Not Reef Tank Suitable

Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable

Range: Western Atlantic Ocean: Southern Florida, Bermuda, Bahamas, to northern South America.

Size: 4 inches (9 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits deep rocky reefs and is found at depths between 100 – 200 feet (30 – 60 m) where it feeds mainly on small fishes and crustaceans.

General Husbandry: Rarely ever seen in the trade, having a pinkish orange body.

Best maintained in a dimly lit fish-only aquarium having many rocky hiding places/crevices to investigate or take shelter. 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.

Highly secretive.

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

Invertebrate Safe: With caution/will eat small crustaceans

Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+

Aquarium Environment: Fish-only aquarium

Tankmates: Peaceful

Minimum Tank Size: 50+ gallons

Temperature Range: 70 - 79°F (21 – 26°C)

Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026

pH: 8.0 - 8.5

 Liopropoma mowbrayi (Ridgeback Basslet, Cave Bass)
Photo © John Randall
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Boyd Enterprises