Klein's Butterflyfish

Klein's butterflyfish is plainly colored compared with its showy relatives: its yellowish-brown body has two broad, pale white vertical bands, rows of small dark dots on the flanks and a black line through the eye. On the other hand, it is one of the hardiest butterflyfish and switches to prepared food very easily; it is often recommended as a first butterflyfish. In the wild, soft coral polyps make up a significant part of its diet, and it also eats algae and zooplankton. Specimens are wild-collected.

• At least 300 liters and 120 cm in length; plenty of live rock and swimming space.
• Salinity specific gravity 1.023–1.026, pH 8.1–8.4, temperature 24–27°C.
• Quarantine is recommended; butterflyfish are sensitive to copper treatment.
• Not reef-safe: It eats soft corals and zoanthids and nips LPS corals and tube worms. It may also eat Aiptasia anemones.

Omnivorous. Frozen mysis, brine shrimp, chopped mussels, mixed frozen foods for butterflyfish, granules containing spirulina and dried seaweed; offer small amounts 2–3 times a day.

Peaceful and calm; it usually gets along with other butterflyfish. Aggressive fish drive it away from food.

Good companions: Tangs, large angelfish, foxface, Heniochus, wrasses, large damsels, calm triggerfish.

Avoid: Reefs with soft corals and zoanthids, tube worms, aggressive triggerfish, lionfish.