Chaetodon melannotus

Chaetodon melannotus, commonly known as the Blackback butterflyfish, is a medium-sized butterflyfish. Their base colour is pure white with on their body black spots that form lines and are so closely spaced under the dorsal fin that the back looks black. Also just above the anal fin is a small area with more densly spaced spots. All around the white body (head, dorsal fin, caudal fin, anal fin, belly and pectoral fins) the fish is bright yellow. Through the eyes runs a dark black vertical stripe.

These fish are quite peaceful to most other fish, but might haress similar looking fish. They live mostly solitary or in a pair in a wide variety of coral rich habitats like lagoons and seaward reefs. In an aquarium they can best be kept alone unless a proven pair can be found. They're obligate corallivores and feed mainly on soft corals and gorgonians in the wild, but also eats stony corals! This makes them not suitable for a fish-only tank and they can only be kept in a large tank with a lot of fast growing corals where considerable damage to the corals is accepted. Feeding them a varied diet of live and frozen meaty foods can help to minimize the damage to the corals. A real specialist fish!