|
Copper-band Butterfly
(Chelmon rostratus)
|
Tank: Fish-only system with plenty of live rock; reef system with care. 120 gallons or larger.
Aquarium Behavior: Aggressive towards members of its own species.
Maximum Length: 7.9 in
Food & Diet: Omnivore, including crustacean flesh, mysid shrimp and frozen preparation, including shellfish. Feed several times a day.
Reef Compatibility: Not recommended/ Use caution
Quick Notes: This species is often used to rid reef aquariums of Aiptasia anemones. Some may nip at large-polyped stony corals, certain soft corals including, exniids, clavulariids and zoanthids. Always use caution when adding to reef tanks. Copperbands are fragile fish and do not tolerate careless handling. Aggressive towards members of its own species.
|
|
Saddleback Butterfly
(Chaetodon ephippium)
|
Aquarium Behavior: May be intolerant of other members of its own, or other, species.
Maximum Length: 9.5 in
Food & Diet: These species will feed on filamentous algae, small invertebrates, hard coral polyps, sponges, tunicates, and fish eggs. Provide meaty foods, dried flakes, shrimps, and prepared foods containing sponge and algae.
Reef Compatibility: Not recommended/ use caution
Quick Notes:This species feeds on a wide-range of invertebrates. Provide plenty of swimming room. Provide it with a varied diet. It can be employed to clean live rock of glass anemones; however, it will also feed on some of the more desirable invertebrates living on the rock, like fan worms. It may be difficult to accustom these fish to a successful aquarium feeding pattern.
|
|
Wimplefish
(Heniochus acuminatus)
|
Tank: Fish-only; live rock-based fish-only; or reef system. 66 gallons or larger. Settled specimens are active open-water swimmers. Can be kept singly, in pairs or small groups.
Aquarium Behavior: This peaceful species reserves its aggression for other members of its species, but this seldom amounts to anything more then bickering.
Maximum Length: 8 in
Food & Diet: Offer particulate foods, such as brineshrimp (enriched with spirulina or Omega 3), mysis, and chopped shellfish. Be sure to provide a variety of such items several times per day.
Reef Compatibility: Not recommended/ use caution
Quick Notes:Also known as the Poor Man's Idol, or the Pennant Coralfish. Provide large amounts of live rock for grazing. Largely trustworthy in a reef aquarium, but may find tubeworms too tempting to resist. It will ignore most corals, sessile invertebrates, and ornamental shrimp.
|
|
Declevis Butterfly
(Chaetodon declivis)
|
Aquarium Behavior: Peaceful
Maximum Length: 5 in
Food & Diet: Diet should consists of preparations containing various meaty foods. Finely chopped clams, shrimp, squid, mysis, brine, and plenty of algae based products.
Reef Compatibility: Not recommended/ use caution
Quick Notes:Provide plenty of Live Rock for grazing, most butterflyfish are known to nip at sessile inverbrates including coral and tridacnid clams. Also known as Marqusas butterfly. Always use caution when adding to reef environment.
|
|
Long-nosed Butterfly
(Forcipiger flavissimus)
|
Tank: Fish-only; fish only with live rock; a reef aquarium only with care. 100 gallons or larger. Scours every part of the aquarium in its never-ending search for food. Best kept singly, although in its natural enviroment it is found in pairs and small groups.
Aquarium Behavior: A lively and peaceful fish that will behave naturally in the aquarium, once settled. The purpose of that seemingly oversized snout soon becomes clear, as it probes every hole and recess for food.
Maximum Length: 8 in
Food & Diet: Diet should consist of marine feeder fish, crustacean flesh, mysid shrimp and frozen preparations. Finely chopped clams, shrimp, squid, and brine shrimp.
Reef Compatibility: Not recommended/ use caution
Quick Notes: Occasionally threatened by large surgeonfishes and tangs. Its response it to "headstand,"exposing erect dorsal spines and facing the direction of the threat with these defensive weapons. Take into account the dietary information supplied for this species, and bear in mind that it will also feed on the trailing tentacles of Zoanthid polyps and may also nip at large=polyp stony corals. It does not include small-polyp stony corals in its diet and therefore should not present a threat where these are present.
|
|
Threadfin Butterfly
(Chaetodon Anisochaetodon auriga)
|
Tank: Fish-only or live rock-based fish-only. 90 gallons or larger. Keep singly or in pairs. This active fish thoroughly investigates every square inch of the aquarium in its perpetual search for food.
Aquarium Behavior: A bossy species that will try to assert itself over other fish. This is generally not a problem with small juveniles, but larger specimens can make a nuisance of themselves, dominating smaller fish.
Maximum Length: 6-8 in
Food & Diet: Offer foods formulated for butterflyfishes and the usual mysis, brineshrimp, and chopped shellfish at least three times per day. Juveniles may require more regular feeding than this because they are more prone to losing weight.
Reef Compatibility: Not recommended/ use caution
Quick Notes: Hardy species that can be weaned on to food of your choice by gradual substitution.
|
|
Four-eyed Butterfly
(Chaetodon capistratus)
|
Aquarium Behavior: Once settled in the aquarium it should thrive, but it may be difficult to acclimatize at first.
Maximum Length: 4-6 in
Food & Diet: Crustaceans, coral polyps, algae. Grazer.
Reef Compatibility: Not recommended/ use caution
Quick Notes: It may be very difficult to accustom this species to aquarium foods and it may starve to death. Although attractive, therefore, this is not really a beginners fish.
|
|
Pearlscale Butterfly
(Chaetodon chrysurus)
|
Tank: Open water, scouring rockwork and sand or gravel substrates for morsels of food. A single individual or pair. A large aquarium will accommodate small groups. Fish-only; live rock based fish only; reef aquarium with great care. 120 gallons or larger.
Aquarium Behavior: A shy species.
Maximum Length: 7.9 in
Food & Diet: Crustaceans, readily accepts a variety of subsitiutes, including mysis and brineshrimp.
Reef Compatibility: Not recommended/ use caution
Quick Notes:This species can either be seen like this one in the image or with a yellow more so color. Either way they are both the same species and are rare. Can be aggressive towards other butterflyfish. This busy, active fish demonstrates the remarkable swimming gymnastics of many species of butterflyfish as it forages for food in the aquarium.
|
|
Pakistani Butterfly
(Chaetodon collare)
|
Tank: Fish-only or live rock-based fish only system. 66 gallons or larger. Best kept singly or in pairs. Pairs require a large system and you must be prepared to endure bickering between specimens.
Aquarium Behavior: Most fish will tolerate the Pakistani Butterfly and it is quite capable of looking after itself in most situations. Tangs and surgeonfishes are likely to present the most immediate threat as the fish settles in a new aquarium. Fairly peaceful towards other species, although it may chase smaller butterflyfish every now and then.
Maximum Length: 6 in
Food & Diet: One of the few species to feed almost exclusively on hard coral polyps, yet can be acclimatized to accept more readily available items. Offer a wide variety of food, including dried algae, brineshrimp, mysis, chopped and whole shellfish, plus regular vitamin supplements. Feed at least three times a day.
Reef Compatibility: Not recommended/ use caution
Quick Notes:Also known as, Collared butterfly. It is reputed to be difficult to keep, although now all authorities agree on this. Not a suitable fish for the beginner. Avoid non-feeding individuals in the dealer's aquarium. Check them for signs of disease such as turbidity of the skin or cloudy eyes.
|
|
Double-saddled Butterfly
(Chaetodon (Anisochaetodon) falcula)
|
Aquarium Behavior: Aggressive towards similar species.
Maximum Length: 4-5 in
Food & Diet: Crustaceans, coral polyps, algae. Grazer.
Reef Compatibility: Not recommended/ use caution
Quick Notes:This species is often confused with C. ulietensis, which is found across a wider area of the Pacific Ocean, and has slightly lower reaching 'saddles' and less yellow on top of the body and dorsal fin.
|
|
Blue-striped Butterfly
(Chaetodon frembli)
|
Aquarium Behavior: Calm community fish
Maximum Length: 8 in
Food & Diet: Crustaceans, coral polyps, algae. Grazer.
Reef Compatibility: Not recommended/ use caution
Quick Notes: This is not an easy species to keep and isn't recommended for beginners.
|
|
Sunburst Butterfly
(Chaetodon (Anisochaetodon) kleini)
|
Tank: Fish-only or live rock-based fish-only system. It may be possible to house this species in a hard coral-rich aquarium. 53 gallons or larger. An active swimmer that will investigate every nook and cranny of the aquarium and become hand-tame very quickly. Keep singly, in pairs, or small groups.
Aquarium Behavior: Generally very laidback and peaceful. Its hardy constitution means it can be saftely stocked quite early on in the life of an aquarium, with the confidence that its presence will not preclude the addition of any other apecies at a later stage.
Maximum Length: 6 in
Food & Diet: Offer dried green algae to simulate a readily available food item that can be visited at will, and feed with mysis, brineshrimp, chopped shellfish, plus whole bivalves such as cockle or clam. Vitamin supplements can help this fish maintain its coloration.
Reef Compatibility: Not recommended/ use caution
Quick Notes: These species is considered to be one of the easiest of Butterfly fish to keep, being hardy once it has settled into the aquarium. The obvious wide bands on this juvenile fish will fade with adulthood. Only the black bar will remain as a contrast to the sunburst color of the body. The Sunburst is also known as Klein's Butterfly fish. Some aquarists maintain that this species' reputation for controlling Aiptasia spp. anemones is unfounded, but most agree that the fish will eat this nuisance invertebrate. However, it will also have a go at many other forms of polyp, much to the conseternation of the aquarist. It should not harm larger species of ornamental shrimp. Clams are likely to be nipped.
|
|
Racoon Butterfly
(Chaetodon lunula)
|
Tank: Fish-only or live rock-based fish only systems. Do not be tempted to keep it with corals or ther sessile invertebrates. 66 gallons or larger for a pair, assuming excellent water quality. An active, open-water swimmer that pauses frequently to investigate the rockwork for any tasty morsels. Best kept singly for the most peaceful aquarium, but pairs can be maintained.
Aquarium Behavior: Can be bossy towards other butterflyfish species, if not actually aggressive, but generally quite peaceful.
Maximum Length: 7 in
Food & Diet: Crustaceans, coral polyps, algae. Grazer.
Reef Compatibility: Not recommended/ use caution
Quick Notes: The Racoon Butterfly is known to feed very well in aquarium setting and will readily accept most foods. Small specimens of C. lunula often act as cleaners of larger fish species and are therefore not chased or bullied unduly. However, it is safer to stock this species before larger or more aggressive species. Although certain individuals might ignore some corals, such fish are the exception rather than the rule. Even smaller ornamental shrimp may be killed and eaten.
|
|
Black-backed Butterfly
(Chaetodon melannotus)
|
Aquarium Behavior: Peaceful
Maximum Length: 6 in
Food & Diet: Crustaceans, coral polyps, algae. Grazer.
Reef Compatibility: Not recommended/ use caution
Quick Notes: Soft Corals and most Invertebrates should do fine with this Butterfly fish, but it may likely decimate Stony Corals, as they are a part of its natural diet. This fish is notoriously difficult to keep. It is recommended to try a different member of the family before trying their hand at these. |
|
Meyer's Butterfly
(Chaetodon meyeri)
|
Aquarium Behavior: May be intolerant of other members of its own, or other species.
Maximum Length: 6 in
Food & Diet: Coral polyps, algae. Grazer.
Reef Compatibility: Not recommended/ use caution
Quick Notes: This species is extremely difficult to keep in the aquarium as it feeds mainly on polyps.
|
|
Eight-banded Butterfly
(Chaetodon octofasciatus)
|
Aquarium Behavior: May be intolerant of other members of its own, or other species.
Maximum Length: 4 in
Food & Diet: Coral polyps. Grazer.
Reef Compatibility: Not recommended/ use caution
Quick Notes: It is a difficult species to keep in the aquarium as its diet consists mainly of coral polyps. It may be worth trying brine shrimp.
|
|
Ornate Coralfish
Chaetodon ornatissimus)
|
Aquarium Behavior: May be intolerant of other members of its own, or other species.
Maximum Length: 7 in
Food & Diet: Coral polyps. Grazer.
Reef Compatibility: Not recommended/ use caution
Quick Notes:Provide plenty room for swimming. May be difficult to keep because of feeding problems. Entice with brine shrimp.
|
|
Spot-banded Butterfly
(Chaetodon punctofasciatus)
|
Tank: Fish-only or live rock-based fish-only system. 66 gallons or larger. Roams all over the aquarium, but not quite as adventurous as some other members of this genus. Keep singly or in pairs. Small juveniles are reported to be solitary in their natural environment.
Aquarium Behavior: The smallest individuals are not very well suited to a boisterous aquarium, as they can prove difficult to feed and may not compete well with larger or more powerful species. Tolerant of other closely-related species and will not bother smaller, more sensitive, ones.
Maximum Length: 4 in
Food & Diet: Coral polyps. Grazer. May accept flake foods in the aquarium. Finely chopped seafood meats and algae-based meals.
Reef Compatibility: Not recommended/ use caution
Quick Notes:Punctato Butterfly, or Dot Dash butterfly are also common names for this species. Safe in a live rock-based aquarium with a few carefully chosen invertebrates, such as anemones or mushroom polyps. However, it can never really be considered for the reef aquarium. Should not harm ornamental shrimp.
|
