Dr. Paddy Ryan, USA
Info
Chaetodon quadrimaculatus also commonly referred as Fourspot Butterflyfish can be found in the tropical waters of the northwestern and Central Pacific Ocean from Ryukyus, Ogasawara Islands and Taiwan to the Hawaiiian, Marquesan, and Pitcairn islands, south to the Samoan and Austral Islands; Marianas and Marshalls in Micronesia.
The top half of the body of the Fourspot Butterflyfish is black, marked by two large white oval shaped spots on each side. The lower half of the body is yellow and the fins have a yellowish color. There is a darker vertical band that runs through the eye area and a lighter, wider vertical band behind the eye area. The dorsal and anal fins are yellow with a thin white inside line bordering them. The tail is yellow marked by another white spot area where the tail joins the body.
The Fourspot Butterflyfish is a very shy species but rather active. It is a powerful fish, can jump quite well to avoid getting caught, and caution should be used when handling this fish, as its top dorsal spines can inflict a rather nasty poke.
Unfortunately, Chaetodon quadrimaculatus feeds on small polyped stony corals, particularly Pocillopora sp. in the wild. Offering live foods, a few live rocks with some encrusting invertebrates and algae growth on them, especially filamentous algae, will help this fish to adjust to its surroundings in captivity.
Remarks:
Butterflyfish are not recommended for reefs as they will pick at or eat a wide variety of corals, fan worms, and other invertebrates. Most Butterflyfish are known to pick at Aiptaisia, a parasitic anemone.
Classification
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Chaetodontidae
Genus: Chaetodon
Species: Chaetodon quadrimaculatus
The top half of the body of the Fourspot Butterflyfish is black, marked by two large white oval shaped spots on each side. The lower half of the body is yellow and the fins have a yellowish color. There is a darker vertical band that runs through the eye area and a lighter, wider vertical band behind the eye area. The dorsal and anal fins are yellow with a thin white inside line bordering them. The tail is yellow marked by another white spot area where the tail joins the body.
The Fourspot Butterflyfish is a very shy species but rather active. It is a powerful fish, can jump quite well to avoid getting caught, and caution should be used when handling this fish, as its top dorsal spines can inflict a rather nasty poke.
Unfortunately, Chaetodon quadrimaculatus feeds on small polyped stony corals, particularly Pocillopora sp. in the wild. Offering live foods, a few live rocks with some encrusting invertebrates and algae growth on them, especially filamentous algae, will help this fish to adjust to its surroundings in captivity.
Remarks:
Butterflyfish are not recommended for reefs as they will pick at or eat a wide variety of corals, fan worms, and other invertebrates. Most Butterflyfish are known to pick at Aiptaisia, a parasitic anemone.
Classification
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Chaetodontidae
Genus: Chaetodon
Species: Chaetodon quadrimaculatus
