Chaetodon robustus

Gunther, 1860

Robust Butterflyfish, Three-banded Butterflyfish, Ghana Butterflyfish

Range: Eastern Central Atlantic Ocean: Africa’s tropical west coast - Mauritania to the Gulf of Guinea.

Size: 6 inches (15 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits inshore rocky reefs at depths between 10 to 220 feet (3 – 70 m) and feeds on worms, hydroids, crabs, crustaceans, and algae.

General Husbandry: Quite attractive, yet rarely seen in the trade due to its limited areas of collection. Has a silvery white body with each scale having a copper-like reflection due to its narrow yellow edging. There are three vertical dark brown bands, one through the eyes, a second mid body and a third at the aft portion of the body. The dorsal, anal, and pelvic fins are yellow, and the tail is clear.

Best maintained in larger peaceful fish-only aquariums, especially those with lots of open swimming space, live rock hiding places, and having some micro and macroalgae growths. As to diet, a meaty diet of live fortified brine shrimp and/or black worms (Lumbriculus variegatus) is a good beginning. Once feeding regularly, various frozen meaty foods such as mysis, can be offered several times daily. Flake foods, especially those containing Spirulina and/or Nori should also be occasionally offered.

This is usually a easy species to get feeding on regular aquarium foods, however, if refusing to eat, try small human consumption clams/black mussels purchased in local grocery stores and placed on the half-shell in the aquarium, which may help entice it to begin feeding. Over time, frozen foods like mysis and brine shrimp and various flake foods may be more readily accepted.

Taxonomy:

Order: Perciformes

Suborder: Percoidei

Family: Chaetodontidae

Genus: Chaetodon

FYI: Pressing some soft foods into openings/crevices on a piece of old dead coral skeleton can sometimes encourage finicky eaters to begin feeding.

Experience Level: Intermediate

Temperament: Peaceful

Diet: Omnivore

Coral Safe: With caution

Invertebrate Safe: No

Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+

Aquarium Environment: Fish-only aquarium

Tankmates: Peaceful or non-aggressive

Minimum Tank Size: 75 gallons

Temperature Range: 71 - 82°F (21 – 28°C)

Specific Gravity: 1.020 -1.026

pH: 8.0 - 8.5