Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Likely Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Red Sea, Maldives, Seychelles, South Africa, Christmas Islands, Papua, New Guinea, and Palau.
Size: 40 inches (100 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits seaward reefs and oceanic islands at depths at about 10 - 100 feet (3 – 30 m) and stays under rocks and/or in caves during daytime and hunts prey during evening hours when it feeds mainly on small fishes and octopuses. Often found in the same areas as Anthias.
General Husbandry: Rarely seen in the trade, having a brownish body with a black patch under the eyes.
Best maintained in a dimly lit aquarium having live rock, hiding places/caves, and tankmates large enough not to be eaten.
As to diet, fresh fish and/or crustacean flesh impaled on a long feeding stick and waved near its head, which usually sticks out of a hiding area, will entice it to grab the food and should be offered twice weekly.
Taxonomy:
Order: Anguilliformes
Suborder: Muraenoidei
Family: Muraenidae
Subfamily: Muraeninae
Genus: Gymnothorax
FYI: Avoid hand feeding!
Will bite divers when they get too close!
One per aquarium.
May be difficult to get feeding, if so, try feeding live ghost/grass shrimp and/or small crabs, e.g., fiddler crabs.
Aquarium must be covered, as they can get out of the aquarium through very small openings. Its an escape artist.
Rockwork in the aquarium should be quite stable, as they can undermine rock structures and cause their collapse.
Experience Level: Intermediate
Temperament: Aggressive
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: Aggressive
Minimum Tank Size: 100 gallons
Temperature Range: 74 - 82°F (23 – 28°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
