All fish / Chaetodontidae

Saddleback Butterflyfish

Chaetodon ephippium

Also known as saddled butterflyfish, saddle butterflyfish, saddleback butterfly, black-blotched butterflyfish, ephippium butterflyfish, セグロチョウチョウウオ, kepe-kepe, 鞍斑蝴蝶鱼, 月光蝶

A large, deep-bodied butterflyfish with a pale grey to yellow body, a big black saddle edged in white on the rear upper body, and a trailing filament on the dorsal fin. Keepers prize it for its striking looks and it is one of the hardier larger butterflyfish once feeding.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

23 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

500 litres

Keep as

Singly or as a mated pair

Diet

Omnivore: mysis, chopped seafood, sponge-based foods, nori and quality marine pellets, fed several times a day

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

7 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-West Pacific: eastern Indian Ocean to Hawaii, Ryukyus to Australia

Breeding

It scatters pelagic eggs in open water and the larvae pass through a long planktonic stage. It has not been bred reliably in home aquariums.

Good to know

Not reef safe, as it picks at corals, anemones and tubeworms, and it needs a large, mature tank with plenty of swimming room. Newly imported fish can be slow to feed, so choose specimens already eating in the shop.