Copperband Butterflyfish
Chelmon rostratus
An elegant long-snouted butterflyfish famous for eating aiptasia anemones, and notoriously difficult to feed.
Ideal Conditions
- Temperature
- 23 – 27 °C
- pH range
- 8.1 – 8.4
- Salinity
- 1.023 – 1.026 SG
- Adult size
- 15 – 20 cm
- Min. tank size
- 400 litres+
- Lifespan
- 5 – 10 years
- Diet
- Carnivore — small worms, live foods and frozen preparations
- Water flow
- Moderate
- Preferred setup
- Large mature reef with abundant live rock and quiet feeding areas
About the Copperband Butterflyfish
Copperbands are bought as often for pest control as for their looks. They are peaceful and beautiful, but many individuals refuse prepared foods, so this is a fish for experienced keepers with a large, invertebrate-rich system.
Find Copperband Butterflyfish
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Is it right for your tank?
Check Copperband Butterflyfish against a habitat you already keep. We compare water type, temperature, pH, adult size, group needs and everything living there.
Where Copperband Butterflyfish comes from
Native range
Indo-West Pacific, Coral Triangle
Countries / regions
Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, Singapore
Habitat
Coastal reefs, rocky estuaries and silty inshore habitats with rich invertebrate life.
Illustrative native range only, not an occurrence dataset.
Similar species
Longnose Butterflyfish
Forcipiger flavissimus
Flame Angelfish
Centropyge loricula
We’re adding more full species guides as the catalogue grows.
Compatible tank mates
Reviewed guidance based on this species' recorded traits.
- Great
Yellow Watchman Goby
Cryptocentrus cinctus
Bottom-dwelling and unhurried, with no competition for food.
- Great
Royal Gramma
Gramma loreto
Small, cave-based and no threat to a slow-feeding butterflyfish.
- Compatible with caution
Yellow Tang
Zebrasoma flavescens
Compatible in temperament, but a fast-feeding tang can leave a copperband short of food.
- Compatible with caution
Bubble Tip Anemone
Entacmaea quadricolor
Copperbands eat aiptasia and may also pick at ornamental anemones and some LPS corals.
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