All fish / Chaetodontidae

Orangeface Butterflyfish

Chaetodon larvatus

Also known as orange-face butterflyfish, orangeface butterfly, hooded butterflyfish, red-headed butterflyfish, larvatus butterflyfish, orange face butterfly, ズキンチョウチョウウオ, 橙面蝴蝶鱼, 红海橘面蝶

A small, rounded butterflyfish with an orange head and a pale bluish grey body marked by many thin, chevron-shaped vertical lines, finishing in a dark rear edge and tail base. It is kept for its unusual colouring and rarity, mainly by experienced reef keepers who want a Red Sea specialist.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

11 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

400 litres

Keep as

Singly or as a mated pair

Diet

Carnivore: in the wild feeds almost only on Acropora coral polyps; aquarium foods such as mysis, enriched brine shrimp and frozen coral-feeder mixes are rarely accepted for long

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 7 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Red Sea and Gulf of Aden

Breeding

It spawns in open water as pairs, releasing eggs that drift with the plankton before a long larval stage. It has not been bred in home aquariums.

Good to know

This is an obligate coral eater that depends on live Acropora, so most specimens starve in captivity and it is best left in the wild. It will eat stony coral polyps, so it is not reef safe for Acropora collections.