Animal-World > Marine - Saltwater Fish > Butterflyfish > White-face Butterflyfish

White-face ButterflyfishWhite-fronted butterflyfish

Family: Chaetodontidae

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Chaetodon mesoleucos

     The White-face Butterflyfish is a rare fish to find, even in the ocean!

     If you can obtain a White-faced Butterflyfish it is known to be a hardy fish to keep, though it may bully it's tankmates. It is a rather solitary, shy fish and needs a lot of space.

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

Habitat: Natural geographic location:      White-faced Butterflyfish are found on coral reefs in the Western Indian Ocean: Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. They are found at depths of 5 to 20 meters (16 - 66 ft.).

Maintenance difficulty:      Although the White-faced Butterflyfish species is rare it is said to be hardy if properly cared for. This probably means plenty of algae to graze on and lots of food variety

Maintenance:      Make sure you feed a good angel or spirulina formula, like formula 1 or formula 2. They may eat live brine shrimp but will not thrive on that diet alone. Floating romaine lettuce in the aquarium can help provide them with vegetable in their diet.

Diseases that Marine Butterflyfish are susceptible to:
Marine Ich(white spot disease), Marine Velvet, Uronema marinum, and Lymphocystis

Foods:    See "Maintenance" above, we have no additional information yet.

Social Behaviors:      A very shy fish in the wild. It is found singly or in pairs. In the aquarium they are known to be belligerent of other tankmates, so be careful and watch that they aren't too aggressive towards the other fish. Provide a large aquarium.

Sexual differences:      Not known.

Light: Recommended light levels:      No special requirements.

Breeding/Reproduction:      Not accomplished in captivity. See Breeding Marine Fish page for a description of how they reproduce in the wild.

Temperature:      No special requirements. Normal temperatures for marine is fish between 75 and 79 degrees.

Length/Diameter of fish:      White-faced Butterflyfish adults can grow to 16 cm (6.4 inches).

Minimum Tank Length/Size:      A minimum 50 gallon aquarium is recommended.

Water Movement: Weak, Moderate, Strong      No special requirements.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom      No special requirements.

Availability:      This fish is generally rarely available.

Author: David Brough. CFS.

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