🐠 Merten's Butterflyfish (Chaetodon mertensii)
A Pearlescent Silver-White Body With Grey Chevron Bars • A Striking Yellow-to-Orange Posterior • An Uncommon, Distinctive Find
 
📋 Merten's Butterflyfish, also known as the Atoll Butterflyfish, Yellowback Butterflyfish, or Orangetail Butterflyfish, has an elegant pearlescent silver-white body marked with five to seven blurred, criss-crossing grey chevron bars, a black band through the eye, and a striking yellow-to-orange posterior and tail.
It comes from a wide range across the Indo-Pacific and central Pacific, inhabiting coral-rich lagoon and outer reef environments to depths of around 30 metres. A naming note: some regional populations are sometimes referred to under the closely related name Chaetodon madagascariensis, so ask us to confirm identification if you have any questions. Every Merten's Butterflyfish we ship is feeding well.
It's a peaceful, moderately hardy species once well established, though it's naturally somewhat nocturnal. It's uncommon in the trade, and does best kept alone or as a pair introduced together, since it can become territorial toward its own kind and similarly patterned butterflyfish otherwise. It's not reef safe, and will nip at coral polyps and small invertebrates. It reaches up to 15cm, so plan on at least 280L.
 
💡 Highlights
🎨 Silvery Body With Grey Chevrons and an Orange Posterior: A striking, elegant butterflyfish
💎 Uncommon in the Trade: A distinctive find for serious butterflyfish keepers
🔍 A Naming Note Worth Knowing: Sometimes referred to under a closely related name
🪸 Not Reef Safe: Will nip at coral polyps and small invertebrates
🍽️ Ships Feeding Well: A confident eater once settled