Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
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Chaetodon

Chaetodon triangulum

Cuvier, 1831

Triangular Butterflyfish

Not Reef Tank Suitable

Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable

Range: Indian Ocean: Madagascar to the Andaman Sea and western Indonesian Archipelago.

Size: 6 inches (15 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits lagoons, reef faces, and fore-reef slopes rich in stony SPS coral growth at depths between 3 – 50 feet (1 - 15 m) and feeds on SPS ‘Acropora’ coral polyps.

General Husbandry: This very rarely collected, yet pretty species, has a whitish body with numerous wide grey chevron bands, orange mouth, brownish orange eye band that becomes orange near the top of the head and flows rearward on the edge of the adult dorsal. Its caudal peduncle is black, with the black tail edged in yellow on both its frontal and aft edges.

Needs a steady diet of SPS ‘Acropora’ coral polyps to survive!

Taxonomy:

    Order: Perciformes

    Suborder: Percoidei

    Family: Chaetodontidae

    Genus: Chaetodon

FYI: Best left in the wild!

Experience Level: Professional

Temperament: Peaceful

Diet: Corallivore

Coral Safe: No

Invertebrate Safe: With caution

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

 Chaetodon triangulum (Triangular Butterflyfish)
Photo © John Randall
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