Gunther's Butterfly (Asia Pacific)

The Gunther's, or Crochet butterfly, is covered in tiny black speckles giving it a wonderful texture as though it has been carefully crafted by a talented artisan. A dark mask covers its eyes, and its rear fins are also edged in black. Its dorsal fin and rear body are intense sulphur yellow, so bright it nearly glows. It is similar to the Lemon butterfly but lacks the black blotch on its tail. It grows up to 7 inches and needs an aquarium of at least 125 gallons.

This species is normally quite peaceful and should not be kept with aggressive tank mates. It can be kept singly or in groups which should be added at the same time to a large aquarium. It prefers strong water flow to swim against. 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. Many species of butterfly also benefit from filamentous algae in the aquarium to graze on.

This species may nip on many types of corals especially soft corals, LPS, sponges, clam mantles, and feather dusters. They do not typically bother other types of invertebrates such as crustaceans. 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.