Limespot Butterflyfish

About

The Limespot Butterflyfish (Chaetodon unimaculatus) is one of the more recognizable members of its family, wearing a clean white-to-yellow body marked by a large, dark teardrop-shaped spot near the dorsal fin. The feature that gives it several of its common names. Its range is enormous, stretching from the reefs of East Africa all the way across the Indo-Pacific to Hawaii and the Marquesas, and from southern Japan down to Lord Howe Island. In the wild, adults are most commonly spotted at moderate depths on clear lagoon edges and seaward reef faces, typically moving in small, loose groups rather than as solitary individuals. They are monogamous spawners and tend to form lasting pairs, which is worth keeping in mind if you're thinking about keeping two together. In the aquarium, the peaceful temperament holds up well with other similarly sized fish, but this species is not reef-safe in any practical sense. It actively grazes on both soft and hard corals, and will also pick at polychaete worms and small crustaceans. For that reason it really belongs in a fish-only or FOWLR system. Keepers should expect a fish that is hardy enough for an intermediate hobbyist who can meet its dietary needs and provide enough open water to swim.