TankBud

Collare butterflyfish

Chaetodon collare

Also known as Pakistan Butterflyfish, Redtail Butterflyfish, Collare Coralfish

SaltwaterFish

Collare butterflyfish (Chaetodon collare)
jon hanson from london, UK · CC BY-SA 2.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
73–81°F
23–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
7.1 in
18 cm
Minimum tank
90 gal
340 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Not reef safe
Family
Chaetodontidae
Origin
Ranges across the Indian Ocean and into the western Pacific, from the Persian Gulf and Maldives to Indonesia, on coastal and outer reefs.

Overview

The Collare butterflyfish is a mostly peaceful reef fish for a large saltwater tank without corals. It is a step up from the easiest fish to keep.

Did you know

Collare butterflyfish sometimes gather on wild reefs in loose groups of dozens. That is unusual, since most members of their genus travel in pairs.

Caring for the Collare butterflyfish

Give the Collare butterflyfish at least 90 gal (340 L), with plenty of rock and open swimming room. Rocky crevices give it cover. It is not reef safe and will nip stony and soft corals and sessile invertebrates, so keep it out of a reef tank.

Keep the water at 73 to 81°F (23 to 27°C) with a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. Choose a specimen over about 8 cm that is already eating. Feed mysis, enriched brine shrimp, chopped clam and mussel and other meaty foods several times a day. It is one of the more robust members of its genus once it is feeding.

Collare butterflyfish are mostly peaceful but can be feisty toward other butterflyfish. They are fine alone or in a group, and they mix well with community fish.

Good to know

The Collare butterflyfish, Chaetodon collare, is a member of the family Chaetodontidae. It is also called the Pakistan butterflyfish. It is boldly marked, with a dark body, a white collar behind the head and a red tail.

In the wild

The Collare butterflyfish ranges across the Indian Ocean and into the western Pacific, from the Persian Gulf and Maldives to Indonesia. It is found in pairs on coastal and outer reef slopes. Its wild diet centers on coral polyps and small invertebrates, which it picks from the reef.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Collare butterflyfish is a mostly peaceful, social 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 Collare butterflyfish need?

A Collare butterflyfish needs at least 90 gal (340 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Collare butterflyfish need?

A Collare butterflyfish is comfortable at 73–81°F (23–27°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

What does a Collare butterflyfish eat?

A Collare butterflyfish eats meaty foods such as mysis, enriched brine shrimp, chopped clam and mussel. Feed it several times a day.

How big does a Collare butterflyfish get?

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

Related species