Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Not Reef Tank Suitable
Not Suitable for Fish-Only Tank
Range: Western Atlantic Ocean: Bermuda, southern Florida, Bahamas and northern South America.
Size: 46 inches (115 cm)
Natural Environment: Burrows into sandy areas on rocky and coral reefs, and often found in seagrass beds, at depths to about 3 to 50 feet (1 – 15 m) and basically feeds on crabs in evening hours.
General Husbandry: Has white body with many yellow spots surrounded in dark brown. Not collected for the trade.
Taxonomy:
Order: Anguilliformes
Suborder: Congroidei
Family: Ophichthidae
Subfamily: Ophichthinae
Genus: Myrichthys
FYI: Those in this genus are termed ‘Snake Eels’ and are nasty looking and quite secretive, residing buried in the sand or mud with only their head showing while awaiting a tasty meal to come close enough to be captured and eaten. They require at a minimum, very deep fine sandbeds, e.g., 6 – 10 inches (15 – 25 cm), more if a large species, and tankmates large enough not to be eaten. Basically unsuitable for the average home aquarium as they require live foods and an environment tuned to their needs, e.g., far more area than what would be given a moray eel two to three times their size, and containing little decor.
Shown here for identification only.
