Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Likely Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Cocos-Keeling and Christmas Islands, southwest to Thailand, east to Samoa, north to Southern Japan, and south to the Great Barrier Reef and New Caledonia.
Size: 4 inches (11 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits lagoons, reef faces and fore-reef slopes at depths between 10 to about 100 feet (3 – 30 m) where its preferred anemone is Heteractis magnifica. It mainly feeds on algae, yet also somewhat on planktonic crustaceans (copepods, mysis, and shrimp larvae).
General Husbandry: Somewhat common in the trade and quite hardy, peaceful and an excellent tankmate for most peaceful aquariums. Has a tannish pink body with a narrow white vertical stripe just aft of the head and a narrow white line from the snout down the entire length of the back.
Best maintained in aquaria having live rock, hiding places, macroalgae, peaceful tankmates, and with a hosting anemone.
As to diet, will eat most regular aquarium foods, e.g., live fortified brine shrimp and/or finely chopped various frozen or fresh meaty foods such as mysis, squid, fish flesh, shrimp, clam, etc., and plant material, e.g., flake foods, especially those containing Spirulina and should be offered once or twice daily.
Taxonomy:
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Labroidei
Family: Pomacentridae
Subfamily: Amphiprioninae
Genus: Amphiprion
FYI: In the wild, its hosting anemones are: Heteractis crispa, Heteractis magnifica, Macrodactyla doreensis, and Stichodactyla gigantea.
If maintained with a hosting anemone, aquarium size should be >50 gallons.
Does best with its preferred hosting anemone – somewhat nervous without one.
Females are larger than males.
If the female is removed, the male will change sex and one of the juveniles will become the new functioning male.
Will probably fair better in aquariums with a lush growth of algae.
A member of the Skunk Complex.
Captive bred specimens available and are far hardier than wild caught specimens.
Experience Level: Intermediate
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Omnivore
Coral Safe: Yes
Invertebrate Safe: With caution
Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+
Aquarium Environment: Reef or fish-only aquarium
Tankmates: Peaceful
Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons
Temperature Range: 74 - 82°F (23 – 27°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
