Copperband Butterfly Diet

Copperband butterfly fish rarely damage coral.

The copperband butterfly is an attractive saltwater fish, and is also called the beaked coral fish or beaked butterfly fish. This fish is found in the west Pacific Ocean and the northeastern Indian Ocean, and is silvery white with orange bands. Unfortunately, this fish can be very difficult to keep in captivity, because it is timid and reluctant to try new foods.

Wild Diet

Information on the wild diet of the copperband butterfly fish is hard to come by. It's known to be primarily a carnivore in both juvenile and adult stages, and to eat zoobenthos--animal organisms that live in the benthic zone of the ocean. These creatures live on, in, or near the seabed. The copperband butterfly fish's small mouth restricts it to very small animals. According to Animal-World.com, tiny crustaceans and tube worms may make up much of this fish's diet.

Captive Diet

In captivity, copperband butterfly fish can be fed a number of small animals, including blood worms, brine shrimp, mysid shrimp and pre-cracked mollusks. They can also be fed commercial fish flakes and frozen foods, dried seaweeds such as nori, and leafy vegetables. Food should be offered at least twice per day, more often for juveniles.

Feeding Difficulties

Copperband butterfly fish can be very difficult to feed. They may not eat well in new environments, and sometimes refuse pre-killed or commercial food. New owners should offer a wide variety of foods multiple times per day. These fish may require live food initially. Some will refuse food entirely. Placing food into crevices in rock and coral may stimulate the fish's feeding instinct.

Foraging

This type of fish may also get food from live rock in its tank. Live rock is rock that contains the same kinds of lifeforms it would on the ocean floor. Copperband butterfly fish may eat small fan worms, glass anemones, and other tiny creatures off of and out of this rock. In some cases, copperband butterfly fish can be used to control pest anemones--unwanted species of anemone that proliferate in saltwater tanks.

Misconceptions

Due to the copperband butterfly's habit of feeding from live rock, some people mistakenly believe it to be a danger to coral. While some do consume coral, most copperband butterfly fish are entirely "reef safe" and will not damage coral structures in a tank. As this fish cannot yet be bred in captivity, all specimens are caught, and behavior may vary significantly among individuals.

References

• Reef Corner: Copperband
• Animal-World: Copperband Butterflyfish
• FishBase: Chelmon rostratus, Copperband butterflyfish
• Fish Lore: Copperband Butterfly Fish