Klein's Butterflyfish

Klein's Butterflyfish is widely regarded as the hardiest and most adaptable butterflyfish species available to marine aquarists. Its body is a warm golden-brown to olive color, often with a subtle division between a darker anterior half and a lighter yellow posterior half, separated by a broad white vertical band in the midsection. A dark eye band crosses through the eye, and the overall appearance, while less flashy than some of its relatives, has a subdued elegance that many aquarists appreciate.

What sets Klein's Butterflyfish apart from nearly all other butterflyfish is its willingness to accept prepared foods almost immediately upon introduction to the aquarium. While many butterflyfish are notoriously difficult to wean onto captive diets, Klein's will readily consume flake food, pellets, frozen preparations, and virtually anything else offered. This makes it an excellent choice for aquarists new to keeping butterflyfish and wanting to gain experience with the family.

Klein's Butterflyfish is one of the few butterflyfish species that can be kept in a reef aquarium with reasonable confidence, though it is rated with caution rather than fully reef safe. While it may occasionally sample soft coral polyps or zoanthids, it is far less destructive than most of its relatives. This species is peaceful, hardy, disease-resistant, and long-lived, making it an outstanding community fish for both reef and FOWLR systems.