Pearlscale Butterflyfish

The Pearlscale Butterflyfish (Chaetodon xanthurus), also called the yellow-tailed or crosshatch butterflyfish, is a small, elegant butterflyfish from the western Pacific. Its pale body is covered in a fine, dark cross-hatched pattern that gives a pearly, netted appearance, set off by a bright orange curved band over the rear body and tail and a black bar through the eye. It is a reef-associated omnivore and a favourite in the aquarium hobby. Its neat, geometric patterning makes it one of the more distinctive small butterflyfish.

Recognize the Pearlscale Butterflyfish by:

• A white body with a dark chevron cross-hatch ('pearlscale') pattern.
• A bright orange curved band across the rear body and tail.
• A black bar through the eye.
• Small disc-shaped body, ~12-14 cm.

The crosshatched body plus orange rear separates it from the similar Eritrean and Burgess's butterflyfish.

Pearlscale Butterflyfish inhabit coral reefs and rocky reef slopes, often in deeper or current-swept areas, from about 5 to 50 m in the western Pacific, including the Philippines, Indonesia, and adjacent regions. They favour reefs with rich coral growth and structure and are typically seen singly or in pairs.

Pearlscale Butterflyfish are diurnal omnivores, feeding on small invertebrates, coral polyps, and algae picked from the reef. They occur singly or in pairs and, like many butterflyfish, may form lasting pair bonds. They stay close to reef structure for shelter and retreat into crevices at night. Spawning occurs as pairs releasing eggs into the water column.