All fish / Chaetodontidae

Blackburn's Butterflyfish

Chaetodon dolosus

Also known as african butterflyfish, black-backed butterflyfish, blackburn's butterfly, dolosus butterflyfish, african butterfly, アフリカンバタフライフィッシュ, 多罗蝴蝶鱼

A cream to white butterflyfish with fine dark speckling, a broad dark brown to black patch over the rear of the body and dorsal fin, and yellow on the tail area. It lives on deeper reefs, so it is less common in the trade, and keepers prize it as a hardier, unusual butterflyfish that settles well once feeding.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

13 cm

Temperature

23 to 27 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

400 litres

Keep as

Single specimen or a mated pair

Diet

Omnivore: mysis, chopped shellfish, brine shrimp, quality flakes and pellets, marine algae

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Indian Ocean: East Africa from Somalia to South Africa, Mauritius and nearby islands

Breeding

It spawns in open water, releasing tiny eggs that drift with the plankton. It has not been bred in home aquariums in any meaningful way.

Good to know

It is not reef safe, as it may nibble soft and stony coral polyps and tubeworms. Feed it small meals several times a day and quarantine new fish, since freshly imported butterflyfish can be shy feeders.