Blackback Butterflyfish (Chaetodon melannotus)
Fish in the family Chaetodontidae. Moderate care. Not Reef Safe.
Quick facts
Appearance
The Blackback Butterflyfish is a small, disc-shaped fish with a predominantly white to pale yellow body marked by a distinctive black dorsal band running along the back and upper flank. It has a yellow-orange face and pectoral area, with thin black bands crossing the gill covers and eye. The fish displays the characteristic triangular profile and compressed body typical of butterflyfish.
Diet and feeding
In the wild, Blackback Butterflyfish feed on small benthic crustaceans, copepods, amphipods, and zooplankton. In captivity, offer a varied diet including quality flake foods, micro pellets, frozen copepods, mysis shrimp, and small crustaceans multiple times daily.
Difficulty and care for the Blackback Butterflyfish
Moderate - Requires some experience due to specific dietary water or tank requirements. Best suited for intermediate aquarists.
Common health issues
Marine ich, parasitic infections, nutritional deficiencies, coral nipping, loss of appetite in new tank environments
Origin and habitat
Indo-Pacific region from the Red Sea and East Africa eastward to the Hawaiian Islands, Indonesia, and the Great Barrier Reef. Found on coral reef environments at depths of 10–50 meters.
Log Blackback Butterflyfish in your reef tank
Reef Trak gives you the full record on every species in your tank: acquisition date, source, photos, parameters at time of stocking, and links to maintenance and feeding events. Track Blackback Butterflyfish alongside everything else in your reef.
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