Pyramid Butterflyfish

About

The Pyramid Butterflyfish (Hemitaurichthys polylepis) is one of the more unusual members of its family, spending much of its time well up in the water column rather than picking at coral or rockwork like most of its relatives. In the wild, it congregates in large, loose schools along the exposed outer edges of steep reef slopes where strong currents deliver a steady drift of zooplankton. Its primary food source. The color pattern is clean and distinctive: a bright white pyramid-shaped patch on each flank set against a rich yellow body, with a dark head that completes the contrast. Its range stretches across a broad sweep of the Pacific, from the waters around Japan and Indonesia south to New Caledonia, and east as far as Hawaii and the Pitcairn Islands. In the aquarium, this species stays peaceful with just about any tankmate of comparable size, but it does live up to its "shy" reputation, especially when first introduced. It settles in much better when kept in a small group rather than as a single specimen, which also reflects how it lives in the wild. A larger tank with good flow and open swimming space will give it the best chance to relax and behave naturally. Feeding is generally straightforward given its plankton-based diet.