Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Likely Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Maldives and Sri Lanka to Vanuatu, north to Southern Japan, south to northwestern Australia and New Caledonia.
Size: 4 inches (11 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits sandy areas in lagoons and on seaward reef at depths between 3 to about 100 feet (1– 30 m) and mainly feeds on filamentous algae and somewhat on zooplankton.
General Husbandry: Rarely seen in the trade, with adults having a bluish black body and fins, with the juveniles also dark blue, but having a dark blue eyespot edged in bright blue on the lower aft dorsal fin.
Best maintained in aquaria having live rock with growths of various forms of algae and having hiding places, as it quite shy.
Somewhat shy, and needs hiding places.
As to diet, plant material (its main food in the wild), e.g., flake foods, especially those containing Spirulina and Nori, along with 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., should be offered once or twice daily.
Taxonomy:
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Labroidei
Family: Pomacentridae
Subfamily: Pomacentrinae
Genus: Pomacentrus
FYI: In small aquariums, will annoy peaceful tankmates.
Experience Level: Beginner
Temperament: Semi-aggressive
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 - 84°F (23 – 28°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
