Chaetodon quadrimaculatus

Gray, 1831

Fourspot Butterflyfish

Range: Central Pacific Ocean: Southern Japan south to Hawaiian, Marquesan, Pitcairn, Samoa, and Marshall Islands.

Size: 6 inches (16 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits exposed reef flats, reef faces and reef slopes, often in surge zones, at depths between 6 – 150 feet (2 – 45 m) and feeds mainly on stony coral polyps, along with some soft corals, worms, hydroids and algae.

General Husbandry: Quite nice looking, as it has a yellow mouth, white face with a dark yellowish eye band edged in black, and a body having a blackish upper half with two white patches, with the lower half bright yellow and having some small dark spots. There’s also a white vertical band just aft of the eyes, and the dorsal, anal, pelvic and tail fins are yellow, with the dorsal and anal fins containing a narrow bright blue band.

Best housed in larger peaceful fish-only aquariums, especially those with lots of open swimming space, live rock hiding places, and having some micro and macroalgae growth. As to diet, a meaty diet of live fortified brine shrimp and/or black worms (Lumbriculus variegatus) is a good beginning. Once feeding regularly, various frozen meaty foods such as mysis, can be offered several times daily. Its also known to injest some algae in the wild, therefore flake foods, especially those containing Spirulina and/or Nori should also be occasionally offered.

Occasionally there is a problem getting this species to feed as its quite shy, and if so, small human consumption clams/black mussels purchased in local grocery stores and placed on the half-shell in the aquarium may help entice it to begin feeding. Over time, frozen foods like mysis and brine shrimp may be more readily accepted.

Taxonomy:

Order: Perciformes

Suborder: Percoidei

Family: Chaetodontidae

Genus: Chaetodon

FYI: Juveniles acclimate more easily to aquarium life than do adults.

Pressing some soft foods into openings/crevices on a piece of old dead coral skeleton can sometimes encourage finicky eaters to begin feeding.

Experience Level: Intermediate

Temperament: Peaceful

Diet: Carnivore

Coral Safe: No

Invertebrate Safe: No

Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+

Aquarium Environment: Fish-only aquarium

Tankmates: Peaceful or non-aggressive

Minimum Tank Size: 75 gallons

Temperature Range: 72 - 82°F (22 – 28°C)

Specific Gravity: 1.020 -1.026

pH: 8.0 - 8.5