All fish / Chaetodontidae

Millet butterflyfish

Chaetodon miliaris

Also known as milletseed butterflyfish, lemon butterflyfish, millet seed butterflyfish, hawaiian lemon butterfly, milletseed butterfly, ミリアリスバタフライフィッシュ, 密点蝴蝶鱼

A lemon-yellow butterflyfish covered in rows of small dark spots, with a black bar through the eye and a black band near the tail. It is one of the hardier butterflyfish because it feeds on plankton in the wild and readily accepts prepared foods.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

13 cm

Temperature

22 to 26 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

300 litres

Keep as

Singly, or as a pair or small group in a large tank

Diet

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

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Hawaiian Islands and Johnston Atoll, central Pacific

Breeding

It spawns in open water, releasing eggs that drift with the plankton, and the larvae go through a long pelagic stage. It has not been bred reliably in home aquariums.

Good to know

It may pick at coral polyps, featherdusters and clams, so it is not safe in a reef tank. As a Hawaiian endemic it is mostly collected there, and supply depends on local collecting rules.