Eight-banded Butterflyfish (Chaetodon octofasciatus)
Fish in the family Chaetodontidae. Moderate care. Reef Safe with Caution.
Quick facts
Appearance
The Eight-banded Butterflyfish has a distinctive white or pale yellow body with eight bold dark vertical bands that encircle the body. It features a small mouth suited for picking food from crevices and a black mask-like marking across the eye. The dorsal and anal fins are yellow with dark banding, while the tail fin is primarily yellow.
Diet and feeding
Feed a varied diet of high-quality marine flakes, small pellets, mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, and finely chopped marine vegetation. Offer foods multiple times daily in small portions to mimic natural grazing behavior.
Difficulty and care for the Eight-banded Butterflyfish
This species requires moderate care and is better suited to aquarists with some experience. While hardy once acclimated, they can be selective eaters and may require live or frozen foods to acclimate properly to captivity.
Common health issues
Ich (white spot disease), marine velvet, fin rot, loss of appetite in captivity
Origin and habitat
Indo-Pacific region from Indonesia and the Philippines throughout Southeast Asia and westward to the Indian Ocean. Found primarily in coral reef environments at depths of 5–50 meters.
Log Eight-banded 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 Eight-banded Butterflyfish alongside everything else in your reef.
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