Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Not Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indian Ocean: Maldives, Reunion, Mauritius, Christmas and Cocos-Keeling Islands.
Size: 5 inches (12 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits outer deep reef slopes, drop-offs and ledges where black corals and sea fans exist at depths between 70 – 250 feet (20 – 75 m) and feeds on benthic invertebrates.
General Husbandry: One of the hardiest and very easy to feed butterflyfish, yet often somewhat highly priced because of collection depths. Its also quite attractive, having a yellow body with two large/wide black slanting bands, black eye band, and yellow pelvic, dorsal, anal and tail fins.
Best maintained in larger peaceful fish-only aquariums, especially those with lots of open swimming space, and live rock hiding places. As to diet, a meaty diet of live fortified brine shrimp and/or black worms (Lumbriculus variegatus) is a good beginning. Once feeding regularly, various frozen meaty foods such as mysis can be offered several times daily.
Not a difficult species to get feeding in captivity, yet should there be a problem, small human consumption clams/black mussels purchased in local grocery stores and placed on the half-shell in the aquarium may help entice it to begin feeding. Over time, frozen foods like mysis and brine shrimp may be more readily accepted.
Taxonomy:
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Percoidei
Family: Chaetodontidae
Genus: Chaetodon
FYI: Bold species and often aggressive towards tankmates.
Cannot be maintained with others in the same genus or with others from other butterflyfish genera.
Juveniles acclimate more easily to aquarium life than do adults.
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: No
Invertebrate Safe: No
Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+
Aquarium Environment: Fish-only aquarium
Tankmates: Peaceful or non-aggressive
Minimum Tank Size: 75 gallons
Temperature Range: 72 - 81°F (22 – 27°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 -1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
