Chaetodon fasciatus
The Chaetodon fasciatus lives naturally in the eastern and western Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. The fish can be found swimming in pairs on coral reefs at depths of up to 25 m. Keep the fish is recommended for experienced aquarists.
The body of Chaetodon fasciatus is yellow with eleven diagonal stripes. The body is tall, flattened. The mouth is small. Dorsal plumage with scales. The anal fin root is also covered with scales. Caudal plumage with rounded edges or straight. The pelvic fins have one rigid and five soft rays. Juveniles differ from adult fish by having a large dark spot on the tail. The average size of these fish reaches 16 cm.
These fish require an aquarium with a capacity of at least 500 liters. These fish may be kept as singles or pairs, provided the fish were introduced at the same time.
Pisces have an interesting behavior, with the onset of dusk, their coloration is noticeably darker, and they hide at the bottom of the rocks, almost merging with them, thus camouflaging from predators. It should be noted that the banded butterfly after adapting in the aquarium begins to take it as his home, and any new fish in the aquarium will be the object of pursuit. Therefore, all fish in the aquarium should be introduced at the same time, then they quickly adapt to each other and there will be no conflicts between them.
The girdle-headed butterfly fish are very nosy. In nature, they are not at all afraid of scuba divers, swimming curiously near them. In aquariums, they are just as curious and immediately swim up to the viewing window when you are in front of them.
Water parameters: temperature 24-29° C, pH 7.8-8.2, salinity 1.023-1.025.
Place live rock at the bottom of the aquarium and make a pile of stones like a reef slope. Also take care of a free place for the fish to swim.
The Chaetodon fasciatus feed on microalgae (spirulina), zooplankton, small crustaceans (krill, mussels, artemia) and large crustaceans (shrimps, crabs). It should be borne in mind that the mouth of the fish are small, so all coarse food should be pre-shredded. Feed fish 2-3 times a day.
Reproduction
In aquarium conditions Chaetodon fasciatus do not breed. All fish that appear in the local trade are supplied to the domestic market from their natural habitat.
