Threadfin Butterfly

Butterflyfish

The Threadfin originates in the waters of the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea and the Pacific to Hawaii.  The Threadfin Butterflyfish is quite hardy and is a good beginner fish for saltwater aquarists provided that good water quality is maintained.  Their name comes from the distinctive threadlike extension of their dorsal fin.  Typical of butteflyfish, their nose is sharply pointed.  The front of the body is white with a black vertical band running through the eyes.  The central body section is a cross hatch of yellow and white stripes that intersect at a right angles.  The tail is yellow with the fins squaring the body shape.  Their is a large black dot on the dorsal fin just before the thread extension, but this spot is usually missing in Red Sea specimens.

A tank of at least 50 gallons with hiding places is recommended.  Threadins will eat a wide variety of food including angelfish flakes, spriulina, brine shrimp and invertebrates such as clams.  Frozen foods often work better when they are introduced to a new tank.  In the wild, they eat coral, crustaceans and algae.