TankBud

Black pyramid butterflyfish

Hemitaurichthys zoster

Also known as Brown-and-White Butterflyfish, Zoster Butterflyfish, Black Zoster Butterfly, Black Pyramid Coralfish

SaltwaterFish

Black pyramid butterflyfish (Hemitaurichthys zoster)
Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–81°F
24–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
7.1 in
18 cm
Minimum tank
106 gal
400 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe with caution
Family
Chaetodontidae
Origin
Found in the Indian Ocean, from East Africa and the Maldives to the Andaman Sea, schooling along reef edges and drop offs.

Overview

The black pyramid butterflyfish is a peaceful butterflyfish that cruises the open middle water of a big reef tank. It is easy to keep.

Did you know

The black pyramid butterflyfish evolved to eat drifting plankton. That makes it one of the only butterflyfish many reef keepers will risk adding to a coral tank.

Caring for the black pyramid butterflyfish

Give a group of black pyramid butterflyfish a tank of at least 106 gal (400 L), with open water to swim and cruise. Keep the water at 75 to 81°F (24 to 27°C) with a pH of 8.1 to 8.4.

It is easy to feed for a butterflyfish. It takes mysis, enriched brine and frozen pods, and eventually flake and pellet.

It is reef safe with caution. A well-fed fish generally leaves corals alone but may pick when hungry. It is peaceful and schooling, so keep a group rather than a single fish.

Good to know

Hemitaurichthys zoster is a butterflyfish in the family Chaetodontidae. It has a broad white triangle across a dark brown body.

In the wild

The black pyramid butterflyfish lives in the Indian Ocean, from East Africa and the Maldives to the Andaman Sea. It gathers in large schools along reef edges and drop-offs, feeding on plankton drifting in open water. Large groups form feeding aggregations that hang in the current above the reef.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The black pyramid butterflyfish is a peaceful, schooling species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a black pyramid butterflyfish need?

A black pyramid butterflyfish needs at least 106 gal (400 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a black pyramid butterflyfish need?

A black pyramid butterflyfish is comfortable at 75–81°F (24–27°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

What does a black pyramid butterflyfish eat?

A black pyramid butterflyfish eats mysis, enriched brine and frozen pods. In time it also takes flake and pellet.

How big does a black pyramid butterflyfish get?

An adult black pyramid butterflyfish reaches about 7.1 in (18 cm).

Does a black pyramid butterflyfish need a group?

Yes. A black pyramid butterflyfish is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

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