Pearlyscale Butterfly

[falconut]

Has anybody kept one of these guys? AKA Chaetodon mertensii. If you had one of the other types of Pearlyscales, I'm interested in them too. Just the one available is this one. Here is a representative photo:

What type of experience did you have with it? How long did or have you had it? What other fish was it with? What size tank? Was it with any corals, if yes, what kinds? What food did it eat?

 

[AuroraDrvr]

FWIW, Chaetodon mertensii != Pearlscale

 

[rachenbrazil]

Will eat all corals... excellent fish for a FOWLR....

 

[Nikee1404]

I had one in a 75 gallon LPS reef tank for 6 months. (Lost it in a 3 week power outage.) Never had a problem with it eating or nipping at coral. I guess I got lucky with it. Wouldn't take in any food I offered for the first 2 weeks I had it in QT so I moved it to the DT, and I guess it picked up how to eat from the other fish. Had it with a juvi Imperator Angel, 4 Dispar Anthias, a juvi Regal Tang, a Singapore Dwarf Angel, and a Lawnmower Blenny. If I had the opportunity--and I have had many--I wouldn't buy this fish again. I don't think I'd be lucky enough to get one that doesn't eat coral. I bought mine before I got into coral, so I was really pushing my luck putting coral in a tank with angels and a Pearlscale.

I think my girlfriend named it Butters...

P.S. I realize the tank was small for the livestock it held, but me and the parentals were looking around for an upgrade before the ice storm.

 

[JamesJR]

there are a bunch of butterfly fish that look similar to the C. Xanthurus, which is the one most commonly seen in the hobby. This species is what most hobbyists would refer to as the pearlscale but it is very similar to the mertensii (I have handled many of these butterfly fish and to me the mertensii seems to do the best). There are a couple of others and I have also handled a paucifasciatus.

Of the butterflyfish these can do pretty well in captivity but I think they are still delicate fish and would quarantine them and given them a full round of treatment for parasites. Also, They are definitely NOT reef safe.