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Animal-World > Marine - Saltwater Fish > Marine Butterflyfish

Marine - Saltwater Fish Index

Marine Butterflyfish

Saltwater Fish Articles

Marine Butterflyfish

Family: Chaetodontidae Sunset Butterflyfish, Chaetodon pelewensis

Sunset Butterflyfish Photo © Animal-World

Butterflyfish, together with the angelfish, are probably the most strikingly beautiful of saltwater fish.

Click on a Category (or scroll down to the images) to acess each type of Marine Butterflyfish:

1. Butterflyfish: Most Adaptible	Some may be reef safe	Primarily noncoralline invertebrate feeders Diversified and varied diets make them more likely to accept aquarium foods.
2. Butterflyfish: Adaptable to Difficult	Most are not reef safe	Variable diets that include stony corals, but can also include invertebrates and algae. Require special attention to diet and may require live foods.
3. Butterflyfish: Extremely difficult to Impossible	Not reef safe	Specialized feeders that are obligate corallivores. Feed exclusively on stony corals. Almost never adapt to aquarium foods and very rarely survive.

These catagories are based primarily on the butterflyfish's willingness to accept aquarium fare, as outlined by Scott W. Michael in his excellent book, Angelfishes & Butterflyfishes: Reef Fishes Series. Keep in mind that other environmental factors such as the water parameters, decor, and tank mates can also effect how successfully these fish will be adapted and sustained in the aquarium environment.

Fourspot Butterflyfish

Fourspot Butterflyfish on the Reef

More about Butterflyfish: Description, Care & Feeding, and Breeding:

For more Information on keeping marine fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Marine Aquarium

Copperband Butterflyfish	Golden Butterflyfish
Butterflyfish: Adaptable to Difficult
Chelmon rostratus	Chaetodon semilarvatus

Klein's Butterflyfish	Long-nosed Butterflyfish
Chaetodon kleinii	Forcipiger flavissimus

Merten's Butterflyfish	Pakistani Butterflyfish
Chaetodon mertensii	Chaetodon collare

Pebbled Butterflyfish	Peppered Butterflyfish
Chaetodon multicinctus	Chaetodon guttatissimus

Philippine Chevron Butterflyfish	Raccoon Butterflyfish
Chaetodon xanthurus	Chaetodon lunula

Rainford’s Butterflyfish	Saddled Butterflyfish
Chaetodon rainfordi	Chaetodon ephippium

Spot Banded Butterflyfish	Sunset Butterflyfish
Chaetodon punctatofasciatus	Chaetodon pelewensis

Teardrop Butterflyfish	Threadfin Butterflyfish
Chaetodon unimaculatus	Chaetodon auriga

White-face Butterflyfish
Chaetodon mesoleucos

Bennett’s Butterflyfish	Chevron Butterflyfish
Butterflyfish: Difficult to Impossible
Chaetodon bennetti	Chaetodon trifascialis

Black and White Heniochus	Indian Butterflyfish
Butterflyfish: Most Adaptable
Heniochus acuminatus	Chaetodon mitratus

South African Butterflyfish	Vagabond Butterflyfish
Chaetodon marleyi	Chaetodon vagabundus

Don't see your favorite Saltwater Butterflyfish here?
Send us a a picture and/or description and we'll try to include it!
~ Submit it Here ~

Description:
Butterflyfish have a oval shaped body that is very thin laterally. This shape, along with a protruding mouth, allow them to move among the rocks on a coral reef and find food in the nooks and crannies there. Of course almost all butterflyfish are not recommended for reef aquariums because of their habit of eating corals!

Care and feeding:
Most members of this family are grazers that feed on algae, sponges and corals. However, some are omnivorous and eat small and planktonic animals. Young fish may be easier to acclimate to aquarium conditions and should be fed several times a day.
All butterfly fishes should be offered a large variety of food including live brine, flakes, and frozen foods of all kinds including Formula I, Formula II, Angel Formula and spirulina. Several sponge based frozen foods are now available and can be fed to butterflyfish.

Breeding:
Marine butterflyfish have not reportedly been spawned successfully in captivity. There are, however, reports of some success in rearing wild collected larvae of some of the corallivorous butterflyfish. It is hoped these captive reared fish will be adapted to accept aquarium foods, and thus broaden the species selections that can be sustained in captivity.
See Marine Fish Breeding. for information on reproductive habits.

Marine Butterflyfish

Butterflyfish, together with the angelfish, are probably the most strikingly beautiful of saltwater fish.

Click on a Category (or scroll down to the images) to acess each type of Marine Butterflyfish:

More about Butterflyfish: Description, Care & Feeding, and Breeding:

For more Information on keeping marine fish see: Guide to a Happy, Healthy Marine Aquarium

Don't see your favorite Saltwater Butterflyfish here? Send us a a picture and/or description and we'll try to include it! ~ Submit it Here ~

For more Information on keeping marine fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Marine Aquarium

Don't see your favorite Saltwater Butterflyfish here?
Send us a a picture and/or description and we'll try to include it!
~ Submit it Here ~