Chaetodon larvatus

Chaetodon larvatus, commonly known as the Hooded butterflyfish, is a small butterflyfish. Their body is greyish-white to blueish-purple depending on the individual and lighting. On thier body they've orange spots and stripes that form backwards facing V lines. Their head is brownish to reddish-brown and the caudal fin and last part of the body and dorsal fin are black separated by a yellowish line from the rest of the body. And electric blue rim around the fins, including the pectoral fins, make them a very attractive species.

These fish are usually not aggressive towards other fish, but can become quite territorial sometimes. They live most of their life in pairs on coral reefs rich in Acropora. In an aquarium they can best be kept alone, unless a proven pair can be found. They're obligate corallivores and feed almost exclusively on Acropora polyps! This makes them not suitable for a fish-only tank and they will do best in a large reef tank stocked with fast growing Acropora. Do keep in mind that they will do considerable damage to these corals! A real specialist fish!