All fish / Chaetodontidae

Redtail Butterflyfish

Chaetodon collare

Also known as collare butterflyfish, pakistani butterflyfish, brown butterflyfish, red-tailed butterflyfish, collared butterflyfish, redtail butterfly, ニセフウライチョウチョウウオ, kepe-kepe, 领蝴蝶鱼, 红尾蝴蝶

A dark brown butterflyfish with a fine pale scale pattern, white bars on the head and a bright red tail base. It is kept for its striking colours and active swimming, usually in large fish-only systems.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

15 cm

Temperature

24 to 27 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

450 litres

Keep as

Singly or as a mated pair

Diet

Omnivore: mysis, brine shrimp, chopped seafood, sponge-based and marine algae foods

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-West Pacific: Persian Gulf and Maldives east to Japan, Philippines and Indonesia

Breeding

It spawns in pairs, scattering pelagic eggs into open water, and the larvae pass through a long planktonic stage. It has not been bred in home aquariums.

Good to know

Coral polyps form much of its wild diet, so it is not reef safe and can be slow to accept prepared foods. Choose a healthy, already feeding specimen and avoid keeping it with other butterflyfish in small tanks.