Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Likely Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Red Sea and East Africa to Marquesan and Society Islands, north to Southern Japan, and south to New Caledonia.
Size: 20 inches (50 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits mangrove swamps, brackish rivers and shallow coral reefs at depths between 3 to about 30 feet (1 – 10 m) and stays under rocks and/or in caves during daytime and hunts prey during evening hours when it feeds mainly on smaller fishes and crustaceans.
General Husbandry: Very rarely seen in the trade and quite drab, having a light tan to brownish body.
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: Uropterygius
FYI: Avoid hand feeding!
Aquarium must be covered, as they can get out of the aquarium through very small openings.
Rockwork in the aquarium should be quite stable, as they can undermine rock structures and cause their collapse.
May be difficult to get feeding, if so, try feeding small live fishes, ghost/grass shrimp and/or small crabs, e.g., fiddler crabs.
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: 72 - 82°F (22 – 28°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
