Surgeonfish, Angelfish, and Butterflyfish
Copperband Butterflyfish
Chelmon rostratus
Photo: Luc Viatour · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Key facts
- Temperature24–27 °C
- pH8.1–8.4
- Minimum tank300 l
- Adult size20 cm
- Difficulty★★★☆☆
- TemperamentPeaceful
- WaterMarine
- Reef safeWith caution
Full profile
- Family
- Chaetodontidae
- Origin
- Western Pacific and Eastern Indian Ocean
- Size
- 20 cm
- Temperature
- 24 – 27°C
- pH
- 8.1 – 8.4
- Salinity
- 1.023 – 1.025
- Difficulty
- ★★★☆☆
- Water type
- marine
- Swimming level
- medium
- Behavior
- Pacific
- Minimum number of individuals
- 1
- Minimum aquarium size
- 300 L
- Diet
- Carnivorous (mysis, mussels, clams; known for eating Aiptasia anemones)
- Reproduction
- oviparous
- Reef Safe
- ⚠️ Use caution (may eat tubeworms and some polyps)
Notes: Long snout, orange bands, and a false eye on the dorsal fin. Widely used to control Aiptasia outbreaks. Can be finicky at first when starting to eat.
