Lined Butterflyfish (Chaetodon lineolatus)
Fish in the family Chaetodontidae. Moderate care. Reef Safe with Caution.
Quick facts
Appearance
The Lined Butterflyfish is a small, laterally compressed fish featuring a white body with distinctive vertical black lines throughout, giving it a striped appearance. It has a black bar through the eye and a yellow dorsal fin. The body shape is typical of the Chaetodontidae family, with a somewhat disc-like profile.
Diet and feeding
In captivity, feed a varied omnivorous diet including high-quality flaked foods, frozen mysis shrimp, small crustaceans, and occasional vegetable matter. This species is known to pick at coral polyps and anemones in the wild, so live rock with established microfauna helps provide natural grazing opportunities.
Difficulty and care for the Lined Butterflyfish
Moderately difficult. While not as hardy as some reef fish, the Lined Butterflyfish is more adaptable than many of its cousins. Success depends on excellent water quality, stable conditions, and a varied diet that replicates natural grazing behavior.
Common health issues
Marine ich, parasitic infections, loss of appetite, nutritional deficiencies
Origin and habitat
Indo-Pacific region from the Red Sea and East Africa through the Indian Ocean to the Great Barrier Reef and central Pacific, including the Hawaiian Islands and other tropical reef systems.
Log Lined 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 Lined Butterflyfish alongside everything else in your reef.
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