All fish / Chaetodontidae

Yellow teardrop butterflyfish

Chaetodon interruptus

Also known as yellow teardrop butterfly, indian teardrop butterflyfish, teardrop butterflyfish, yellow teardrop, indian ocean teardrop butterflyfish, インディアンティアドロップバタフライフィッシュ, kepe-kepe, 印度洋泪珠蝴蝶鱼, 黄色泪珠蝴蝶

A bright yellow butterflyfish with a large black teardrop blotch on the flank and a dark bar through the eye. It is one of the hardier butterflyfish, accepts prepared foods readily and makes an eye-catching centrepiece for a large fish-only aquarium.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

18 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, marine algae, spirulina-based flakes and pellets

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

7 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indian Ocean: East Africa and Red Sea approaches to Maldives, Sri Lanka and Andaman Sea

Breeding

It is a pelagic spawner that releases eggs into 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 will pick at corals, anemones, tubeworms and other invertebrates. It is easily confused with the Pacific teardrop butterflyfish, Chaetodon unimaculatus, which is a close relative.