Chaetodon xanthurus

Chaetodon xanthurus, commonly known as the Pearlscale butterflyfish, is a small butterflyfish very similar looking to C. madagaskariensis. Their base colour is white with an orange area just in front of the caudal fin, all the way from the dorsal till the anal fin. In the caudal fin they've a vertical orange band as well. On their body they've many black spots forming a scale/net/cross pattern. They've the typical black vertical eye bar and a 'crown' spot on their forehead. The difference between C. xanthurus and C. madagaskariensis, is that the orange part is more washed out in the dorsal fin in C. xanthurus and the most characteristic difference is that xanthurus has more of a net/scale pattern compared to lines.

These fish are quite peaceful to most other fish, but might haress similar looking fish. They usually live solitary or in pairs in a wide variety of habitats from clear coastal water to outer reef slopes and drop-offs. In an aquarium they can best be kept alone unless a proven pair can be bought. They're real omnivores feeding on all sort of small invertebrates and algae, but they're also facultative corallivores, meaning they do eat but don't need corals. This makes them a risk in a reef tanks though, but a perfect pick for a fish-only tank! Feed them a varied diet of live and frozen meaty foods, but make sure to also include algae based foods like pellets and flakes, to make them really happy!