Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Likely Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Great Barrier Reef and the adjacent Coral Sea to New Caledonia and Loyalty Islands.
Size: 5 inches (13 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits lagoons, reef faces and outer-reef slopes at depths between 3 to about 80 feet (1 – 24 m) and usually found in small groups inhabiting various anemones where it feeds mainly on planktonic crustaceans (copepods, mysis, and shrimp larvae), and algae.
General Husbandry: Rarely seen in the trade, yet quite hardy and peaceful, having a orange brown head and body with two white, possibly blue bands with all fins yellow, except the tail which is white. Juveniles are dark brown but lighten to orange as they mature.
Best maintained in aquaria having live rock, hiding places, macroalgae, peaceful tankmates, and with or without a hosting anemone. And should a hosting anemone be offered, this species becomes somewhat aggressive in protecting its home.
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 auora, Heteractis crispa, Heteractis magnifica, Entacmaea quadricolor, Stichodactyla haddoni and Stichodactyla mertensii.
If maintained with a hosting anemone, aquarium size should be >50 gallons.
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.
A member of the Clarkii Complex.
Experience Level: Beginner
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
