Description:

The Saddled Butterflyfish, Chaetodon ephippium, is a strikingly beautiful and large species of butterflyfish. Its unique coloration and distinctive “saddle” marking make it a popular, albeit challenging, choice for advanced marine aquarists.

Description and Appearance:

• “Saddle” Mark: Its most defining feature is a large, prominent black “saddle” patch on its upper back and dorsal fin, often bordered by a bright white line. This gives it the “saddled” appearance.
• Coloration: The body is generally a pale yellowish-white to grayish-white, with the lower half of the face and the outline of the posterior parts (including the caudal peduncle and parts of the anal fin) often being a vibrant yellow. Some individuals may have wavy blue lines on their lower sides.
• Filamentous Dorsal Fin: Similar to the Threadfin Butterflyfish, adults can develop a long, trailing filament from the soft dorsal fin.
• Size: They are one of the larger butterflyfish species, capable of reaching up to 23-30 cm (9-12 inches) in length, making them a significant presence in an aquarium.

Natural Habitat:

• Geographic Range: Widespread in the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea and East Africa across to Hawaii, north to southern Japan, and south to Australia (including the Great Barrier Reef).
• Environment: They inhabit shallow coral reefs, lagoons, and outer reef slopes, typically found at depths ranging from 0 to 30 meters. They prefer areas with rich coral growth, where they forage for food.

Care Requirements for the Aquarium:

• Care Level: Difficult. These are not beginner fish. They require a well-established, mature aquarium and can be challenging to acclimate and get feeding reliably. Small individuals can be particularly delicate during acclimatization.
• Tank Size: Due to their large adult size and active swimming nature, a minimum tank size of 475 liters (125 gallons) is generally recommended for a single Saddled Butterflyfish. Larger tanks (e.g., 600 liters / 150 gallons or more) are even better, especially if you intend to keep them long-term or with other large fish.
• Aquascape: Provide ample live rock with plenty of hiding spots, caves, and crevices. They appreciate areas to graze on algae and find small invertebrates.
• Water Parameters:
  • Temperature: 22-27C (72-81F)
  • pH: 8.1-8.4
  • Salinity (Specific Gravity): 1.020-1.025
  • Water Quality: Pristine water quality is absolutely essential. Maintain undetectable ammonia and nitrite, and keep nitrates as low as possible. A robust filtration system, including a good protein skimmer, is a must.
• Water Flow: Moderate water flow.
• Lifespan: With ideal conditions and care, they can live for 5-8 years or more in captivity.

Diet and Feeding:

• Specialized Diet: In the wild, Saddled Butterflyfish are omnivores that feed on filamentous algae, small invertebrates (like sponges and worms), fish eggs, and crucially, coral polyps (both stony and soft).
• Captive Diet Challenges: This specialized natural diet is the main reason they are considered difficult to keep. Getting them to consistently accept prepared aquarium foods can be very challenging, and a significant percentage may die if not properly accustomed to captive diets.
  • Varied Meaty Foods: Offer a diverse diet of high-quality marine-based pellets and flakes, and a wide variety of frozen foods. Essential frozen foods include mysis shrimp, vitamin-enriched brine shrimp, finely chopped seafood (such as clams, mussels, krill, and squid).
  • Algae: Provide marine algae sheets (nori or spirulina) regularly. They will also graze on naturally growing algae on live rock.
  • Enticement: Some aquarists find success by initially offering live zooplankton, live mussels with crushed shells, or even small pieces of live coral if absolutely necessary to get them to start feeding. Stuffing food into coral skeletons or crevices can mimic their natural foraging.
• Feeding Frequency: They require multiple small feedings throughout the day (2-4 times) to maintain their health, especially when newly introduced or if they are still somewhat shy.

Temperament and Compatibility:

• Generally Peaceful: Saddled Butterflyfish are usually peaceful towards most other fish species.
• Territorial Towards Similar Species: They can be aggressive or territorial towards other butterflyfish, particularly those of similar shape, size, or coloration. It is generally recommended to keep only one Saddled Butterflyfish per tank unless you can acquire a confirmed mated pair and have a very large aquarium.
• Reef Safe: No, they are definitively NOT reef safe. This is a critical point. Due to their natural diet, they will actively consume or nip at a wide variety of corals (especially LPS and SPS polyps), soft corals (like Zoanthus), anemones, tube worms, and other small sessile invertebrates. They are best suited for a FOWLR (Fish Only With Live Rock) aquarium.
• Tank Mates: Good tank mates are other peaceful to semi-aggressive fish that won’t outcompete them for food or bully them. Examples include:
  • Clownfish
  • Gobies
  • Cardinalfish
  • Tangs (in sufficiently large tanks)
  • Peaceful wrasses
  • Certain angelfish (monitor for compatibility)

Special Considerations:

• Acclimation: Choose a medium-sized specimen (over 7 cm) or a fully grown one if possible, as smaller juveniles can be particularly challenging to acclimate and get feeding. Observe the fish eating in the store before purchase.
• Quarantine: A lengthy and diligent quarantine period is highly recommended to ensure the fish is healthy, free of parasites, and consistently eating prepared foods before introduction to the main display.
• Copper Sensitivity: Like many butterflyfish, they can be sensitive to copper-based medications, so use them with extreme caution if needed.
• Aiptasia Control: Interestingly, some individuals have been known to eat Aiptasia (glass anemones), which can be a nuisance pest in reef tanks. However, this is not a guaranteed behavior for all individuals.

Compatibility Information