Four Eye Butterfly

Quick Stats

Description

The Four-Eye Butterflyfish (Chaetodon capistratus) is an elegant marine fish, instantly recognizable by the dark “eye spot” on each side near the tail and the distinctive white band that cuts through its real eye, giving it a unique appearance and enhancing its natural camouflage. This feature is thought to confuse predators by making them mistake the tail for the head.

Native to the reefs of the Western Atlantic and Caribbean, the Four-Eye Butterflyfish is a peaceful species that thrives in well-established aquariums with ample live rock to explore. This fish can adapt well to captive life but requires stable water conditions and a spacious environment to swim freely.

In the aquarium, provide a varied diet of high-quality frozen or live foods like mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, and finely chopped seafood. Supplement with herbivore flakes or pellets to meet its omnivorous dietary needs. Due to its potential to nip at coral polyps, it is reef compatible with caution and may require careful observation if kept in a reef environment.