Pearlscale butterflyfish
Chaetodon xanthurus
Also known as Yellowtail Butterflyfish, Crowned Pearlscale Butterflyfish, Philippine Chevron Butterflyfish
SaltwaterFish
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
Keep it in a 285 litre or larger tank at 23 to 27 C and pH 8.1 to 8.4 with strong filtration and good oxygen. It is not reef safe and will nip soft corals, stony polyps, ornamental shrimp, and tube worms. Feed a varied diet of mysis, enriched brine shrimp, and other frozen preparations. It is timid, so keep it with peaceful tankmates that will not bully it away from food.
In the wild
The pearlscale butterflyfish has a crosshatched, pearl like body pattern with an orange bar across the tail. It is a shy, deliberate fish that keeps close to rock and coral cover. It picks small invertebrates and polyps from the reef. It needs a calm tank with places to retreat.
Good to know
Chaetodon xanthurus is a western Pacific butterflyfish in the family Chaetodontidae. The fine dark edging on each scale creates the netted look that gives the fish its name. It is closely related to and often confused with the similar Chaetodon mertensii.
Did you know
Its intricate scale pattern is a form of disruptive camouflage that breaks up the fish's outline against a busy reef background.
Weekly picks
Tank mates
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.
Skunk cleaner shrimp
Lysmata amboinensis
Saltwater2.4 in (6 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)
Tiger / strawberry conch
Conomurex luhuanus
Saltwater2.8 in (7 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
Gold-specs jawfish
Opistognathus randalli
Saltwater3.9 in (10 cm) · 30 gal (115 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)
Randall's anthias
Pseudanthias randalli
Saltwater3.1 in (8 cm) · 75 gal (285 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
Fire shrimp
Lysmata debelius
Saltwater2.4 in (6 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)
Ring cowrie
Monetaria annulus
Saltwater1.2 in (3 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
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.
How big does a Pearlscale butterflyfish get?
An adult Pearlscale butterflyfish reaches about 5.5 in (14 cm).
Related species
5.9 in (15 cm)79 gal (300 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)Klein's butterflyfish
Chaetodon kleinii
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Chaetodon miliaris
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9.1 in (23 cm)151 gal (570 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Golden butterflyfish
Chaetodon semilarvatus
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7.1 in (18 cm)90 gal (340 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)Collare butterflyfish
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7.9 in (20 cm)106 gal (400 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)Raccoon butterflyfish
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9.1 in (23 cm)79 gal (300 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)Threadfin butterflyfish
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