Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Likely Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Northern Australia from Western Australia Queensland and quite common on the northern edges of the Great Barrier Reef.
Size: 7 inches (18 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits coastal reefs with areas containing numerous sponge growths, at depths of 3 – 100 feet (1 – 30 m) and feeds mainly of worms, tunicates, and crustaceans.
General Husbandry: Rarely seen in the trade, and highly resembles the Copperband, except it does not contain a middle body vertcal band as does the Copperband. Yet still a highly attractive, having a silvery-white body with two front body wide orange yellow vertical bands edged in black, and one rear body very wide vertical yellow band. Also has a long narrow snout used to search crevices for food and a false eyespot on the rear upper body and lower dorsal fin, however, its quite pale.
Usually adapts quite easily in larger reef style aquariums or peaceful fish-only community aquariums. A meaty diet of live fortified brine shrimp, black worms (Lumbriculus variegatus), red worms (genus Tubifex) and/or mysis are usually eagerly accepted and should be offered several times daily.
Even though it can be maintained in reef aquariums with most soft and stony corals, it's not fully trustworthy as its been known to nip soft corals, crustaceans, and occasionally clam mantles. It’s also often purchased because it will decimate Aiptasia anemones, yet that does not always prove to be correct, especially if more suitable/preferred foods are available. It will also consume small decorative tubeworms and other useful small worms.
Sometimes difficult to get feeding in an aquarium, therefore, supplying it live foods such as feeder shrimp and bloodworms can aid in helping a Margined Butterflyfish get used to life in the aquarium. Also, small human consumption clams/black mussels purchased in local grocery stores and placed on the half-shell in the aquarium will entice them to begin feeding. Over time, frozen foods like mysis and brine shrimp will be more readily accepted.
Taxonomy:
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Percoidei
Family: Chaetodontidae
Genus: Chelmon
FYI: Preferably maintained without others in the same genus, except as a male-female pair, as it can become quite territorial and battle others for territorial rights.
Pressing some soft foods into openings/crevices on a piece of old dead coral skeleton can sometimes encourage finicky eaters to begin feeding.
Experience Level: Intermediate
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Carnivore
Coral Safe: Caution advised
Invertebrate Safe: Caution advised
Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+
Aquarium Environment: Reef aquarium (see above) and fish-only aquarium.
Tankmates: Peaceful or non-aggressive
Minimum Tank Size: 100 gallons
Temperature Range: 73 - 82°F (23 – 27°C).
Specific Gravity: 1.020-1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
