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Lined Butterflyfish
One of the larger of the butterfly fish species, the Lined Butterflyfish can get up to 12 inches (32 cm) in size. They
are found near areas of heavy coral growth on reef slopes and sometimes travel in groups, pairs and in singles. If you can
even find them in your local shop (rarely caught for the hobby), you may want to pass on this butterfly fish. Their potential
adult size and their eating habits would keep them out of most aquarium setups. The lined butterflyfish is a coral eater,
feasting on soft and stony coral polyps and mushroom anemones.
Acquiring a good specimen is usually hit or miss and some
recommend getting smaller sized specimens because they should acclimate more easily. Frequent small feedings several times
a day may be required and once they are acclimated they should do well in the proper setup.
Obviously, feeding them coral polyps could get rather expensive. Try to offer a varied diet of meaty foods such as mysis,
brine shrimp, carnivorous frozen marine foods, etc. A large tank (at least 150 gallons) is needed given their potential adult
size.
If you have the right setup, this could be a nice addition to your live rock only tank with maybe faux corals used as
decorations.
Longfin Bannerfish
The Heniochus species are often lumped in with the Buttefly fishes but the Heniochus species are usually much easier
to care for than most of the butterfly species. We too have grouped them in with the butterfly species for convenience. The
Longfin Bannerfish is also known as the "Poor Man's Moorish Idol" since it sort of resembles the Moorish Idol but the bannerfish
is better suited to aquarium life. They are striped white and black with yellow dorsal and caudal fins along with the signature
long white banner fin that can extend out past the caudal fin (tail fin). The body shape of this fish reminds us a little
of the freshwater angelfish.
The Heniochus acuminatus and the Heniochus diphreutes are extremely similar looking and it
can be difficult to determine the difference in adolescents. They H. diphreutes has more of a stub mouth and a more rounded
anal fin. In the H. acuminatus the anal fin forms more of an angle at the tip.
It is possible to keep multiples in the same tank. In the ocean they form small schools and pairs. They do need a larger
tank when keeping multiples given their adult size and their need for adequate swimming space. They are quite passive and
rarely bother tank mates. They may get bullied by larger fish species such as tangs and triggers.
Assuming that you've picked out a good specimen with no visible signs of illness or disease, they should easily acclimate
to your tank. They are not at all picky (usually) about the foods they are given and should eat most fish foods presented
to them. Get and use a good flake food and supplement with fresh and frozen foods. If you do get one that is finicky, try
the frozen brine shrimp cubes (thawed first) and slowly get them on flakes. The live rock in your tank can provide places
of shelter and can also be a food source that the Longfin Bannerfish may pick at in between meals.
Raccoon Butterfly Fish
The Raccoon Butterfly fish is one of the hardier of the butterfly species. In the wild it is primarily nocturnal, meaning
that it is most active at night. Provide plenty of hiding places to help make your Raccoon Butterfly feel secure.
These
Butterflyfish can reach up to 8 inches (20 cm) so you will need a fairly large (55 gallon, 208 liters) tank to keep one. Unless
you have a really large tank, you should avoid keeping them with other butterflys because they can become territorial. However,
they should get along well with most other species in the home aquarium.
Disease can be a problem with this fish. They seem to be especially prone to saltwater ich (cryptocaryon) and for this
reason you should definitely quarantine this fish before introducing it to your main tank. They also need highly oxygenated
water. Add some air stones along with a few powerheads for water movement to your tank.
The Raccoon is not as picky as some of the other butterfly fishes when it comes to food. They are primarily carnivores
so try to give them live and frozen foods as much as possible. They may also go after some of your invertebrates and are not
considered safe for reef tanks.
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