All fish / Chaetodontidae

Black-spotted Butterflyfish

Chaetodon nigropunctatus

Also known as blackspotted butterflyfish, black spotted butterflyfish, oman butterflyfish, black-spot butterflyfish, ニグロプンクタータス, 黑点蝴蝶鱼

A deep-bodied butterflyfish in dusky brown to grey, covered in small dark spots, with yellow edges on the fins and a dark band through the eye. It comes from the warm, salty waters around Arabia and is kept by keen reefers for its unusual subdued colouring and rarity in the trade.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

13 cm

Temperature

23 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, sponge-based foods and quality flakes

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea coasts

Breeding

It scatters pelagic eggs in open water, as other butterflyfish do. It has not been bred reliably in home aquariums.

Good to know

Not reef safe, as it may pick at coral polyps, clams and tubeworms. Imports are uncommon and costly, and new fish can be slow to accept prepared foods.