Saltwater
Mertens' Butterflyfish
Chaetodon mertensii
Chaetodontidae
Facts
Characteristics
- Length
- Up to 12.5 cm
- Body shape
- Deep-bodied
Care
- Group
- Missing
- Smallest aquarium
- 59 liters
- Diet
- Missing
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Behavior
Water values
Smallest tank
Range
Native
Lives wild in American Samoa, Australia, Chile, Cook Islands, Fiji, France, French Polynesia, Guam, and 17 more countries.
More about the species
Description
Inhabit deep lagoons and seaward reefs. Occur singly or in pairs. Feed on algae and small benthic invertebrates. Oviparous. Form pairs during breeding. May hybridize with C. xanthurus. Minimum depth reported taken from Ref. 128797.
Other names
Other scientific names
- Chaetodon dixoni
- Chaetodon mertensi
- Exornator rhombochaetodon mertensi
In other languages
- Atol-fanefisk
- Atoll butterflyfish, Keel-finned butterfly-fish, Merten's butterflyfish, Merten's coralfish, Orangebar butterflyfish, Yellowback butterflyfish
Articles
All articles
How to add new fish4 min read
From the store to the tank: how to get the fish used to your water, why you should add only a few at a time, and what to watch for in the first few days.
Quarantine for new fish3 min read
Why new fish should live in a tank of their own for a few weeks before they move in, what you need, and what to look for.
From freshwater to saltwater3 min read
What is different in a saltwater aquarium: salt, refractometer, live rock and corals. An introduction for anyone thinking of giving it a try.