TankBud

Pearlscale butterflyfish

Chaetodon xanthurus

Also known as Yellowtail Butterflyfish, Crowned Pearlscale Butterflyfish, Philippine Chevron Butterflyfish

SaltwaterFish

Pearlscale butterflyfish (Chaetodon xanthurus)
Bernard E. Picton BernardP · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
73–81°F
23–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
5.5 in
14 cm
Minimum tank
75 gal
285 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Not reef safe
Family
Chaetodontidae
Origin
Native to the western Pacific around the Philippines, Indonesia, and the Ryukyu Islands, on coral rich slopes.

Overview

The pearlscale butterflyfish is a peaceful butterflyfish for a calm saltwater tank. It is a reasonable choice once you have kept a few easier fish.

Did you know

The pearlscale butterflyfish's intricate scale pattern is a form of disruptive camouflage. It breaks up the fish's outline against a busy reef background.

Caring for the pearlscale butterflyfish

Give the pearlscale butterflyfish at least 75 gal (285 L), with strong filtration and good oxygen. It needs a calm tank with places to retreat. It is not reef safe and will nip soft corals, stony polyps, ornamental shrimp and tube worms.

Keep the water at 73 to 81°F (23 to 27°C) with a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. Feed a varied diet of mysis, enriched brine shrimp and other frozen preparations.

The pearlscale butterflyfish is a shy, deliberate fish, so keep it with peaceful tank mates that will not bully it away from food. It is fine alone or in a group.

Good to know

The pearlscale butterflyfish, Chaetodon xanthurus, belongs to the family Chaetodontidae. The fine dark edging on each scale gives it a crosshatched, pearl-like pattern, the netted look behind its name. An orange bar crosses the tail. It is closely related to, and often confused with, the similar Chaetodon mertensii.

In the wild

The pearlscale butterflyfish is native to the western Pacific around the Philippines, Indonesia and the Ryukyu Islands. It lives on coral-rich slopes and keeps close to rock and coral cover. It picks small invertebrates and polyps from the reef.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The pearlscale butterflyfish is a 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 pearlscale butterflyfish need?

A pearlscale butterflyfish needs at least 75 gal (285 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a pearlscale butterflyfish need?

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

What does a pearlscale butterflyfish eat?

A pearlscale butterflyfish eats a varied diet of mysis, enriched brine shrimp and other frozen preparations.

How big does a pearlscale butterflyfish get?

An adult pearlscale butterflyfish reaches about 5.5 in (14 cm).

Related species