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Addis Butterfly Fish
Information resourced and
researched from
"Tropical Marine Aquaria"
by Graham.F.Cox.
Published by Treasure Press
© The Hamlyn Publishing Group
This richly coloured species comes only from the Red Sea, and its distinctive colouration and markings make it easy to spot in films made be Captain Jacques Cousteau in that area. A specimen in prime condition will always show the several orange-yellow bars on the flanks and the purple-grey eye spot.
If this butterfly fish is kept at the normal temperature of 75 to 80 ° F (24 to 26° C), its basal metabolism appears to proceed at a very slow rate. This is probably due to the fact that this species comes from the lukewarm waters of the Red Sea and has therefore evolved a body chemistry capable of withstanding the losses due to high saline content and high temperature of the water. I had one exceptionally recalcitrant specimen which for a time refused all foods. During this period there was no noticeable decline in activity or reduction in weight. One day it suddenly accepted prawn eggs and has never stopped feeding greedily since. It is now almost two years old in captivity but was clearly adult t 5in (12cm) when imported.
The significance of this experience, which has often since been repeated with this species, is that any other butterfly fish with its high basal metabolic rate, would have wasted away without food in fifteen to twenty days. Individuals in captivity show considerable variation in habits and needs. One specimen may accept every food offered, including dried food, whereas another will refuse all but small pieces of fresh protein. With all butterfly fishes it will be found that regular (twice weekly) feeds with a properly formulated vitamin complex such as ‘SeAvita’ will be of invaluable assistance in keeping the fish in as good as, or occasionally in better, condition than when it lived on the reef. On the reef it was subject to predation by groupers, sharks, barracudas, moray eels and had to compete with many other reef animals for the available foods. Probably the easiest way of adding such a vitamin mixture in a little tap water and then soak freeze-dried pieces of brine shrimp in the solution for twenty-four hours in the refrigerator at all times since, once added to water and allowed to attain room temperature, many of the vitamins are prone to swift oxidation.
