What is saltwater butterfly fish?
Saltwater butterfly fish is a member of the sea bass, also called butterflyfish in English. The round or heart-shaped body is probably reminiscent of butterflies that are very thin vertically. The white head is small, with a protruding mouth and vertical black lines around the eyes. The body colour is yellow, and the black line is on the edge of the fin. This species, called the “normal butterfly”, is the basis. The size will be 15 to 20 cm.
Saltwater butterfly fish with a bright pattern and a beautiful figure swims gracefully. It is familiar in diving and can be bred as a tropical fish, but some are problematic points. This time, let’s talk about ecology and how to raise them well.
Ecology
Let’s know the ecology before breeding. It will be easier to keep if you are familiar with the ecology.
Saltwater butterfly fish are everywhere
It is a butterflyfish that likes warm seas, but surprisingly, it can also be seen around the Tsugaru Straits, depending on the species. Usual butterflies are commonly found in the Isobe south of the Kanto region. It is also famous for breeding, and you can purchase it for around 800 yen. It can be eaten by sautéing or boiling, but it is challenging to cook, and some individuals have an odour. It is white, and the taste is not bad.
Popular with divers. Outer road in fishing
it looks good on coral reefs and is a favourite fish for divers. Since it is a fish that often flocks, it stands out in the sea of the South Sea, and it is a place like a flower of a diving spot. On the other hand, it seems that anglers often treat it as an outside road. The ecology is omnivorous and has a sound bite, so it is a fish you can catch even if you don’t need it.
Types of Saltwater butterfly fish
It is said that there are more than 120 types of butterflyfish other than ordinary butterflies. Here are some commonly bred species.
- Threadfin butterflyfish
Eyes characterize the threadfin butterflyfish with a stretched mouth with black lines like pandas, a white body with black streaks, and yellow from the dorsal fin to the tail fin. It will be 18 cm to 20 cm. There is a thorn behind the dorsal fin, which is the origin of the name. It is sold as an ornamental fish and is easy to breed. The price will be around 1000 yen per animal.
- Vagabond butterflyfish
The Vagabond butterflyfish, easy to keep even for beginners, is 20 cm in size. Black, white and yellow colouring is an exquisite variety. There is also a similar type of Vagabond butterflyfish, but this one grows to about 30 cm in size. I want to make sure not to make a mistake. Both prices range from 1000 to 2000 yen.
- Copperband butterflyfish
The copper band butterflyfish is characterized by its clear yellow stripes on the sides and a black circle pattern on its dorsal fin. Nicknamed “Chemo”, it is trendy. Breeding is a little tricky, and it will be challenging to feed. I think the price is around 2000 yen. The body length is about 15 cm.
- Forceps fish
Forceps fish have a mild temper and are easy to swim in. It’s easy to feed, especially easy to keep. The long mouth, which looks like a whistle, is also charming, and it is an enjoyable kind. It grows to about 18 cm, and the price is about 2000 yen.
There are still more
There are other Saltwater butterfly fish that are bred. Blackback butterflyfish (18 cm, 1500 yen) with clear yellow and black patterns. A refreshing speckled butterflyfish with a dot pattern (13 cm, 1500 yen). High-class varieties such as golden (20-30 cm) cost about 20,000 yen … Each pattern, shape, and difficulty of breeding will change, so it’s a good idea to choose a favourite that suits you.
Breeding of Saltwater butterfly fish
Here are some points to note when breeding. The ecology does not change much regardless of whether it is easy or difficult to breed, so please refer to it.
The aquarium is big
To keep a 20 cm butterflyfish, you need a water tank of 90 cm or more. I think that 60 cm will work, but an ecologically deep aquarium is ideal, and I want a height of 45 cm, so a 90 cm or more size is ideal. First, consider whether you can secure a space for a large aquarium. Large aquariums are difficult to handle, so you must devise ways to make maintenance easier.
Let’s keep the water temperature constant!
The optimum temperature for breeding butterflyfish is 24 ° C, which adapts to a relatively wide range of temperatures. Still, if the water temperature fluctuates too much, it can cause you to feel sick, so keep it constant with a heater. If you do not change the environment as much as possible, you will feel more comfortable with the food biting.
It is NG that the number of individuals is large.
Unlike its appearance, it has a strong temper and full territorial consciousness. Never overcrowd. As a guide, it is an image of a butterflyfish in a water tank width of 30 cm. If it’s a 90cm aquarium, it’s three animals; if it’s a 120cm aquarium, it’s four animals. It’s just a guide, but it’s essential to have enough space to prevent fights.