🐠 Four Eyed Butterflyfish (Chaetodon capistratus)
A Pale Grey Body With Fine Iridescent Stripes • A False Eyespot at the Base of the Tail • A Species That Pairs for Life
 
📋 The Four Eyed Butterflyfish, also called the Foureye Butterflyfish, has an attractive pale grey-white body covered in fine iridescent stripes, with a vivid yellow outline and a false eyespot at the base of the tail on each side, a natural defence that confuses predators about which way the fish is actually facing.
It comes from the Western Atlantic, from New England through Bermuda and the West Indies to northern South America, inhabiting shallow coral reefs to depths of around 20 metres, sheltering in crevices at night. A remarkable natural history detail: this species is documented as one of the few fish that appears to pair for life, and it's a capable, agile swimmer able to manoeuvre sideways or even upside down through complex reef structure. Every Four Eyed Butterflyfish we ship is feeding well.
In the wild it's a specialised coral-polyp feeder, so we start every arrival on live foods and a bleached coral skeleton to graze from, then work it gradually onto meaty substitutes, which is why medium-to-large specimens settle in more readily than tiny juveniles. It's not reef safe, and will feed on stony coral and gorgonian polyps. It reaches up to 15cm, so plan on at least 210L.
 
💡 Highlights
🎨 Pale Grey With Iridescent Stripes and False Eyespots: An elegant, distinctive pattern
💑 Pairs for Life: A remarkable natural history trait
🤸 An Agile, Acrobatic Swimmer: Can move sideways or upside down through reef structure
🍽️ Ships Feeding Well: Started on live foods and coral skeletons for a confident transition
🪸 Not Reef Safe: Feeds on stony coral and gorgonian polyps