Six Spined Butterfly (Asia Pacific)

The Six Spined, or Kite butterfly, sports brilliant vertical stripes of shimmering amber over its pure white body. Juveniles show five stripes, while adults lose the rear stripe and display only four. When young the eyespot at the base of its tail is especially dark, while in adults this is overshadowed by the eyespot on its dorsal fin; on mature fish the tip of this fin is also pointed. It grows up to 7 inches and needs an aquarium of at least 100 gallons.

This species is normally quite peaceful and shy, and should not be kept with aggressive tank mates. It gets along well with its own kind especially if all specimens are added at the same time to a large aquarium. Butterflyfish do not show differences between males and females. They are related to angelfish, but lack the angel's distinctive cheek spines.

A butterflyfish's favorite food is an anemone, so they should not be kept in the same aquarium with one unless it is guarded by aggressive clownfish. The butterflyfish knows to attack the anemone on its mouth, which does not sting, and will make a quick meal of it. It will also benefit from filamentous algae in the aquarium to graze on.

This species does not usually nip on corals, however caution should still be used if attempting to keep it in a reef. It may also nibble clam mantles, sponges, and feather dusters. They do not typically bother other types of invertebrates, except for small shrimp. They feel most secure when there is plenty of live rock to hide in, as well as open space for swimming. This species is usually easy to feed on a variety of meaty and herbivore preparations such as frozen Mysis shrimp, half shell clams, marine algae and Spirulina; it should be fed 2-3 times a day.