Latticed Butterflyfish

About

The latticed butterflyfish (Chaetodon rafflesii) is one of the more visually distinctive members of a very crowded family, wearing a yellow body overlaid with a fine crosshatch or lattice pattern of dark scale edges that gives it a almost quilted look. A bold vertical black bar runs through the eye, and the tail is edged in black and white. A fairly classic butterflyfish arrangement, but the body patterning sets it apart from most of its relatives. In the wild it ranges broadly across the Indo-Pacific, from Sri Lanka all the way out to the Tuamotu Islands and up to southern Japan, where it tends to favor areas with dense coral growth on lagoon floors and protected reef flats. It's not the most commonly encountered species on the reef, and out in the wild it usually shows up in pairs rather than groups. That pair-bonding tendency is genuine and consistent. One genuinely interesting quirk: when stressed or resting, the fish develops a dark blotch toward the front of the body. Basically a visible mood indicator. Like most obligate coral feeders, it consumes anemones, polychaetes, and coral polyps, which makes long-term aquarium care a real challenge. This one is best attempted by keepers who already have experience with difficult, specialized feeders.