Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Likely Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Southeast Africa to Cocos Island, north to southern Japan and the Hawaiian Islands and south to Lord Howe and Easter Island.
Size: 25 inches (62 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits shallow hard coral and rubble areas on inshore reefs at depths at about 3 - 50 feet (1 – 15 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.
General Husbandry: Rarely seen in the trade, and having two different color forms. One has a dark brownish body with small yellowish spots, and the second, overall whitish with dark brown markings.
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!
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: Semi-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: Semi-aggressive
Minimum Tank Size: 50 gallons
Temperature Range: 70 - 82°F (21 – 28°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
