🐠 Tahitian Butterflyfish (Chaetodon trichrous)
A Grey-White Front Fading Into Dark Brown-to-Black • A Yellow Caudal Fin • A Rare, a Tahitian Endemic
 
📋 The Tahitian Butterflyfish, also known as the Tahiti Butterflyfish, has a striking two-tone body: a light grey-to-white front half giving way to a crosshatched dark brown-to-black rear, with a black bar through the eye and a yellow caudal fin.
It's endemic to Tahiti and the wider Society and Tuamoto Islands of French Polynesia, occurring in large natural populations despite its limited range, though it's seldom seen in the aquarium trade. A notable fact: this species has been the subject of published academic research documenting monogamy in a feeding generalist, reflecting its natural tendency to form long-term pairs. Every Tahitian Butterflyfish we ship is feeding well.
It's considered one of the most durable members of the entire butterflyfish family, adapting well to captivity once properly acclimated, and can be kept alongside other peaceable butterflyfish, even members of its own kind, if introduced simultaneously. It's not reef safe, and while it may be housed successfully with more noxious soft corals it finds less palatable, it will consume soft coral polyps and algae if given the chance, and it's also documented as a determined predator of nuisance Aiptasia anemones. It reaches up to 12cm, so plan on at least 265L.
 
💡 Highlights
🎨 Grey-White Front and Black Rear With a Yellow Tail: A striking, distinctive butterflyfish
🌺 A True Tahitian Endemic: A rarely seen French Polynesian native
💑 Documented Monogamy: Subject of published academic research on pair-bonding
🦐 An Aiptasia Predator: A determined natural hunter of this nuisance anemone
🍽️ Ships Feeding Well: One of the hardiest butterflyfish available