About Copperband Butterflyfish
Famous for eating aiptasia — and equally famous for being difficult to feed once the aiptasia is gone. Captive-bred specimens are dramatically more successful than wild-caught. Quarantine and ensure it's eating before purchase.
The copperband butterflyfish, also known as the beaked coral fish, is found in reefs in both the Pacific and Indian Oceans. This butterflyfish is one of the three species that make up the genus Chelmon and all have long beaks.
Notes from the editors
What it looks like. Tall, laterally compressed body with bold yellow-orange and white vertical bands, accented by a long beak-like snout. A photogenic centerpiece fish.
In your tank. Famous as one of the best aiptasia-eaters in the hobby — and famously difficult once the aiptasia is gone. Many specimens refuse prepared foods and slowly starve. Captive-bred specimens (now available from ORA and others) feed reliably; wild-caught is high-risk.
Care notes. Not reef-safe — will sample LPS polyps, feather dusters, fan worms, and clams. Best in fish-only-with-live-rock or in dedicated aiptasia-control systems with acceptance of incidental coral damage. Peaceful with most tankmates.
Sourcing and feeding. Captive-bred preferred and increasingly available ($80–200). Wild-collected widely sold but accepts prepared foods unpredictably. Carnivore with strong preference for live foods; quarantine while confirming food acceptance.
Care info is a starting point, not a guarantee. Individual specimens, water chemistry, and tankmate dynamics vary. Verify against multiple sources and adjust to what you observe. See our terms & disclaimers.
Related fish
Sources & attribution
- Taxonomy and accepted name from the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS AphiaID 218758).
- Description content adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Photo: Antonio Manfredonio from Napoli, Italia · CC BY-SA 2.0 (via iNaturalist or Wikimedia Commons).