From Aqua Guide, the free encyclopedia
Saddleback Butterflyfish
Chaetodon ephippium
- Temperature
- 24–27 °C
- Salinity
- 1.02 – 1.026 SG
- Min. tank size
- 380 L
- Lifespan
- 7-10 years
- Diet
- omnivore
- Care level
- moderate
| Scientific classification | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name: | Chaetodon ephippium |
| Family: | Chaetodontidae |
| Origin: | Indo-Pacific reefs |
| Care Characteristics | |
| Care Level: | moderate |
| Diet: | omnivore |
| Max Size: | 30.00 cm |
| Water Type: | marine |
| Temp Group: | tropical |
| Reef Safe: | Not Reef Safe |
| Temperament: | peaceful |
| Min Group: | 2+ together |
| Varieties: | No cultivated strains — this is a wild-caught fish, and the pattern is consistent across an enormous Indo-Pacific range. Juveniles differ from adults, lacking the trailing dorsal filament and often showing a more contrasting saddle. The species was described by Georges Cuvier in 1831, with Bora Bora as the type locality, and represents a distinct lineage within the subgenus Rabdophorus. The genus Chaetodon is very large. Among species in the trade, C. auriga, the threadfin butterflyfish, and C. miliaris, the millet butterflyfish, are the hardier generalists; C. lunula, the raccoon butterflyfish, is another; and the obligate corallivores such as C. trifascialis and the various Chaetodon that eat only Acropora polyps should be left on the reef. Anyone wanting a butterflyfish for a mixed tank should start with the generalists. |
| Lifespan: | 7-10 years |
Quick Tips
- Bioload:Medium to high
- Min Tank:380 L
- Substrate:Live rock with caves; open swimming space
- Plant Safe:Yes
- Filtration:High (clean water; FOWLR)
Saddleback Butterflyfish (Chaetodon ephippium) is a species of fish in the family Chaetodontidae. It is native to Indo-Pacific reefs. The saddleback butterflyfish is one of the largest of its family, reaching up to 30 cm — the same size as the lined butterflyfish and considerably bigger than most of the group. It is a handsome fish: yellowish-grey with a large black saddle outlined in white on the rear flank, wavy blue lines along the lower body, a yellow throat, and in adults a filament trailing from the soft dorsal fin. It ranges from Sri Lanka and the Cocos-Keeling Islands to Hawaii, the Marquesas and the Tuamotus, on reefs from the surface to 30 metres. Its diet is why it is not reef safe: filamentous algae, small invertebrates, coral polyps and fish eggs.
Compatibility
- Temperament
- peaceful
- Keep in
- Groups of 2+
- Swims
- middle
- Fin nipper
- No
- Delicate fins
- No
- Reef
- Not Reef Safe
Species similar to Saddleback Butterflyfish
Matched on family, then category, then water type