All fish / Chaetodontidae

Dotted butterflyfish

Chaetodon semeion

Also known as dotted butterfly, dotted butterfly fish, semeion butterflyfish, semilunar dotted butterflyfish, トゲチョウチョウウオ, スミツキトノサマダイ, kepe-kepe, 细点蝴蝶鱼, 点斑蝴蝶鱼

A large yellow butterflyfish covered in rows of small dark dots, with a blue-edged black eye band and a short trailing filament on the rear of the dorsal fin in adults. It is kept for its striking colour and graceful swimming in big fish-only or lightly stocked reef systems.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

20 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, quality marine flakes and pellets, sponge-based foods and algae

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-Pacific: Maldives and Sri Lanka east to Indonesia, Philippines, northern Australia, Micronesia and Polynesia

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 nip coral polyps, anemones and other sessile invertebrates. It needs a large, mature tank and can be slow to accept prepared foods, so choose a feeding, healthy specimen.