All fish / Chaetodontidae

Pacific Double-saddle Butterflyfish

Chaetodon ulietensis

Also known as double-saddle butterflyfish, doublesaddle butterflyfish, false falcula butterflyfish, ulietensis butterflyfish, saddled butterflyfish, double saddleback butterflyfish, ハナグロチョウチョウウオ, kepe-kepe, 乌利蝴蝶鱼, 细纹蝴蝶鱼, 鞭蝴蝶

A white butterflyfish with fine vertical lines, two dark saddle blotches along the back, a black bar through the eye and a yellow rear end and tail. It is one of the hardier butterflyfish and usually takes prepared foods readily, so it suits keepers wanting a showy, active fish for a large fish-only tank.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

15 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

450 litres

Keep as

Singly or as a mated pair

Diet

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

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-West Pacific: Cocos-Keeling and Indonesia east to the Tuamotus, north to Japan, south to Australia

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

It will pick at corals, anemones, tubeworms and other sessile invertebrates, so it is not reef safe. It is easily confused with the Indian Ocean Chaetodon falcula, which has more wedge-shaped saddles.