There are at least 114 recorded species of saltwater butterflyfish, however, under half are them are suitable for home aquariums.
Some species are commonly kept and can adapt to life in an aquarium, and others are near impossible to keep in captivity
.
What is special about the butterfly fish?
There are at least 114 species of butterflyfish. They have
thin, disk-shaped bodies that closely resemble their equally recognizable cousins, the angelfish
. They spend their days tirelessly pecking at coral and rock formations with their long, thin snouts in search of coral polyps, worms, and other small invertebrates.
What do butterfly fish eat?
From zooplankton to tiny motile crustaceans and mollusks, to all types of soft and stony corals, anemones, fan or tubeworms, other soft and encrusting sessile invertebrates associated with live rock, as well as being opportunistic marine fish flesh eaters, overall Butterflyfishes are considered to be carnivores.
How do butterflyfish protect themselves from predators?
The butterfly fish sometimes looks like the wings of a butterfly. It has a big, round but flat body with prominent fins around the back and pelvis.
The dorsal fin on the back sometimes features sharp spines
which provide a defense against potential predators.
Do butterfly fish eat anemones?
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but
plenty of butterflys will gladly eat anemones
. Your best bet is to either get planktivores or keep an aggressive pair of clowns in the anemone.
Can you keep multiple butterfly fish?
Care and Tank Conditions
When it comes to butterflyfish,
the general rules are severely limited as every species thrives on different conditions, making it difficult for aquarists to combine two or more in the same tank
. Ideally, you should be perfectly aware of the breed/specie you have and go from there.
How long do butterfly fish live?
Due to climate changes and ocean pollution in the last couple of decades, the number of butterflyfish has decreased drastically. How long do butterflyfish live? The average lifespan of a butterfly- fish in the wild is
seven years
..
Do butterfly fish eat shrimp?
The animals that the butterflyfish eat in the wild are crustaceans like shrimps, prawns, crabs, other small-sized crustaceans, delicate and hard corals, and sea anemones, phylum cnidarian, and a lot of invertebrate species. In the aquariums, butterflyfish should be fed on various vitamin-enriched omnivorous diets.
How much does a butterfly fish cost?
A butterflyfish typically costs
between $20 and $60
. While this price range is typical for many butterflyfish, they can vary in cost. Butterflyfish are priced according to their species and cost anywhere up to $4,000, depending on their unique characteristics and rarity.
Why are they called butterfly fish?
Butterfly fish is named that way
because of the attractive coloration of their body
. They can be black, orange, yellow, red, silver and white in color, with different kind of spots and patterns on their body. Many species of the butterfly fish have black stripes across their eyes and eye-like spots on the body.
What is a butterfly fish scientific name?
Chaetodontidae
Who eats coral?
In addition to weather, corals are vulnerable to predation.
Fish, marine worms, barnacles, crabs, snails and sea stars
all prey on the soft inner tissues of coral polyps.
Can African butterfly fish live together?
African butterfly fish are relatively peaceful fish and
can be kept together if conditions are right
. Tank size should allow for each fish to be able to establish their own territory at the surface of the water; plants will help further allow them to set up these areas and retreat to cover if needed.
Will butterfly fish eat nori?
Community Member. Mine also eats
nori
.
What is the defense mechanism of butterfly fish?
Mimicry. A variety of fishes such as the foureye butterflyfish
use a false eyespot to confuse predators
. The big, dark, conspicuous spot is on the back of the fish’s body above, but near the tail.
Do butterfly fish eat coral?
butterflyfishes often prey on soft corals and gorgonians
and as such are a significant threat to place in a reef aquarium. Many aquarists have reported success with keeping these fish with small polyp stony corals such as Acropora and Montipora, but large polyp stony corals may be picked on.
Is a Butterfly a saltwater fish?
Saltwater butterflyfish
are members of the family Chaetodontidae with about 129 described species in 10 genera. These butterflyfish are ocean dwellers and are unrelated to the freshwater or African butterflyfish, which is a single species in the family Pantodontidae.
Are copper banded butterfly reef safe?
Copperband butterflyfish can grow to 8 inches (20 cm) but in a home aquarium are usually half that size. They do well at a normal reef temperature range of 75 to 84 °F (24 to 29 °C), with a tank size of at least 75 gallons and plenty of live rock to graze on.
This species can be considered reef safe
.
What eats aiptasia in reef tank?
Butterflyfish:
Auriga, raccoon, Klein’s, longnose, teardrop and copperband
are some species known to eat aiptasia and corals. Filefish: The bristletail filefish is the only filefish known to eat aiptasia. It is not reef-safe.
How do I get rid of aiptasia?
The most effective way to remove Aiptasia from a saltwater aquarium is by
using predators like Peppermint Shrimp
. Try to find ones that are captive-bred and raised eating Aiptasia for the best results.
How long can butterfly fish go without food?
As far as vacation feeding is concerned, it’s generally safe to assume that most healthy (note the emphasis) fish will be fine for
a few days to a week or so
without eating depending on the species. Beyond that, you’ll definitely want to make some accommodation to have the fish fed—even if just every two or three days.
What fish can live with butterfly fish?
Tankmates should be chosen with care. Though butterflyfish are not efficient fish predators, small fish that venture too close to their mouths will be eaten.
Larger tetras and barbs
are safe from predation. Small bottom-oriented cichlids, catfish, Ctenopoma species, and mormyrids are also excellent choices.
Can angelfish live with butterflyfish?
Tolerance of other saltwater angelfish as tank mates
Smaller angelfish are usually not aggressive and can live with other fish.
They make great tank mates with Blennies, Gobies, Anthias, Butterflyfish and similar species
. Larger angelfish are known to be more aggressive when it comes to keeping them with other fish.
Do butterfly fish have teeth?
Yes, butterflyfish have teeth
. They have small, close-set, and comb-like sets of teeth. Butterflyfish have evolved with these teeth in order to eat coral, shrimp, plankton, and crustaceans. Despite their teeth, most species of butterflyfish are not aggressive and will work nicely as tank mates for other fish.
Who eats a butterfly?
Wasps, monkeys, ants, parasitic flies, lizards, snakes, toads, dragonflies, rodents, and even birds
are some predators of butterflies.
Why are butterfly fish endangered?
The Chevroned Butterflyfish, a colorful fish found in tropical oceans around the world, faces extinction due to
overexploitation, pollution and climate change
, report researchers writing in the journal Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology.
