Marcella Butterflyfish

Geographical Origin and Habitat: Native to the tropical Eastern Atlantic, along the West African coast from Senegal and Cape Verde to the Gulf of Guinea and Angola. Inhabits deep rocky reefs and soft bottoms at depths of 12 to 140 meters, preferring cooler waters.

Taxonomy and Morphology: Member of the family Chaetodontidae. Features a compressed silvery-white body with a pointed, sturdy snout. Highly yellow dorsal, pelvic, and anal fins. Grows to a maximum length of about 12 cm.

Social Behavior: Shy, quiet, and peaceful. In the wild, they live singly or in pairs, staying close to the substrate. In aquariums, it remains timid and requires time to acclimate.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Bright silvery-white body featuring two distinctive vertical black bands: one running through the eye and a broader one on the rear body. No external sexual differences are visible.

Aquarium Setup: Demands an aquarium of at least 200 liters with abundant rockwork to create deep caves and shaded areas. Cooler temperatures (18–24°C / 64–75°F) are essential as it does not tolerate standard high tropical heat.

Diet and Feeding: Demanding carnivore. In captivity, feed 3–4 times daily with mysis, brine shrimp, clam meat, and chopped crustaceans. Live food helps during initial acclimation.

Water Quality: Pristine water quality with robust protein skimming. Parameters: temperature 18–24°C, pH 8.0–8.4, salinity SG 1.020–1.025, GH 15–25, and KH 8–12. Sensitive to organic wastes.

Compatibility and Cohabitation: Peaceful with other fish. Avoid housing with active, aggressive feeders. Reef-safe with caution: it may nip at LPS corals, clam mantles, and anemones if underfed.

Aquarium Breeding: Undocumented in home aquariums. Broadcast spawners that form monogamous pairs in nature.

Risks and Diseases: Temperature stress and starvation are the main threats. Highly susceptible to marine ich (Cryptocaryon) and external parasites if stressed or kept in warm water.