Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Likely Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Southern Japan, Taiwan, and south to the Philippines.
Size: 4 inches (10 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits tidepools and lagoons, and found near and under coral heads at depths between 1 – 10 feet (1 – 3 m) and feeds mainly at night on small crabs, shrimps, fishes, and worms.
General Husbandry: This attractive, yet quite secretive and very rarely seen in the trade species is yellow overall, but brownish specimens do occasionally show up in the trade.
Best maintained in small reef or fish-only aquariums with several hiding places, as it’s quite shy. In fact, its owner may never see it again if there are many hiding places!
As to diet, it can be fed enriched live brine shrimp or a wide variety of frozen or fresh finely chopped meaty foodstuffs, and will also consume any small fishes and crustaceans in the aquarium. Should be fed at least once per day, usually during evening hours when the aquarium is in darkness. (Use a red light to find the location of the fish, and then offer it the food).
Not safe with very small fish, small crabs, or small ornamental crustaceans.
Taxonomy:
Order: Ophidiiformes
Suborder: Bythitoidei
Family: Bythitidae
Subfamily: Brosmophycinae
Genus: Dinematichthys
FYI: Highly cryptic/nocturnal.
Gives birth to live young.
It’s ‘not’ a goby!
Experience Level: Intermediate
Temperament: Peaceful (will eat smaller fish and crustaceans)
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: 10+ gallons
Temperature Range: 68 - 82°F (20 – 28°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
