Addis Butterflyfish (Chaetodon semilarvatus)

The Addis Butterflyfish is a bright yellow or gold fish with a dark gray or blue patch around the eyes. They have closely spaced orange, red or dark yellow stripes on their sides. Its scientific name is Chaetodon semilarvatus. Also called the Golden Butterfly fish, masked butterfly fish, Bluecheek Butterfly fish, Heniochus Butterfly, Heniochus Bannerfish Red Sea butterfly fish and similar names, this fish is native to the Red Sea. They live in areas with rich coral growth, often around Acropora coral.

The Addis Butterflyfish is not safe for artificial reefs, and their tanks should have lots of hiding places in live rock. You can put it in a fish tank if it is the only one of its species (and the only member of any butterflyfish species) or if you have a tank so large that their territorial nature doesn’t cause a problem. If you only plan on a single Addis Butterflyfish, place it in a hundred gallon or larger tank with lots of overhangs and caves. Live rock is ideal. They don’t bother most other species.

The Chaetodon semilarvatus is carnivorous. It will primiarily eat small invertebrates and coral polyps. For this reason, they shouldn’t be kept in an aquarium with a live reef – it’ll eat so many polyps that it may kill the reef. Captive, it will eat mysis shrimp. They sometimes eat marine flakes. Feed them at least once a day. Don’t feed them more than twice a day.

Wild Addis Butterflyfish are normally nine inches in length, but those raised in an aquarium sometimes reach twelve inches. The Addis Butterflyfish is one of the easiest butterfly fish species to keep, though they require an intermediate level of maintenance.

The Addis Butterflyfish caught in the wild commands a high price. If it survives the transition to the aquarium, it will usually live for several years.
The Addis Butterflyfish can share a tank with angelfish, basslets, batfish, box fish and anthias.