Pyramid Butterflyfish

About

The Brushtooth Butterflyfish (Hemitaurichthys zoster) is one of the more distinctive members of its family, sporting a bold two-tone pattern of dark brown to black on the front half and clean white on the rear. A contrast that gives it the common alias 'Black Pyramid Butterflyfish.' In the wild, this species ranges across the Indian Ocean from East Africa and Oman through to Indonesia, where it lives a surprisingly open-water lifestyle compared to most butterflyfishes. Rather than picking at coral heads close to the reef structure, it forms large, sometimes enormous schools out in the water column just beyond the reef edge, rising to feed on drifting zooplankton and algae. That schooling instinct carries over to the aquarium. Keeping a small group rather than a lone specimen brings out much more natural behavior and reduces stress in individual fish. It is a peaceful species, though it tends toward the shy end of the temperament spectrum and can be easily intimidated by more assertive tankmates. Intermediate care experience is appropriate here, largely because of its need for a spacious tank with good flow to replicate its open-water origins. Given the right setup and company, it is a rewarding and surprisingly active fish to keep.