All fish / Chaetodontidae

Brownburnie Butterflyfish

Chaetodon blackburnii

Also known as brownburnie, blackburn's butterflyfish, brown butterflyfish, blackburn butterflyfish, brownburni butterflyfish, ブラックバーンズ・バタフライフィッシュ, 布氏蝴蝶鱼

A small butterflyfish with a pale yellow face and a body that darkens to chocolate brown towards the rear, crossed by faint darker bars and a dark band through the eye. It is less often seen than many butterflyfish and appeals to keepers who want something understated that tends to feed more readily than coral specialists.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

11 cm

Temperature

22 to 26 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

300 litres

Keep as

Singly or as a mated pair

Diet

Carnivore: mysis, chopped shellfish, brine shrimp, small crustaceans and quality marine frozen foods, fed several times a day

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Indian Ocean: East Africa from Kenya to South Africa, Madagascar, Mauritius and Réunion

Breeding

It spawns by scattering eggs into open water, and the larvae go through a long planktonic tilholder stage. It has not been bred in home aquariums in any reliable way.

Good to know

It may pick at small invertebrates, tubeworms and some corals, so it is not fully reef safe. It prefers slightly cooler water than many tropical reef fish and needs good water quality and a peaceful tank.