Melon Butterflyfish (Chaetodon trifasciatus)

The Melon Butterflyfish (Chaetodon trifasciatus) features a cream-white body with fine purple-orange diagonal lines, a yellow-rimmed dark tail, and bold black head bar. An obligate corallivore in the wild, it is highly challenging to sustain in captivity without specialized feeding strategies. Reserved for dedicated advanced aquarists with access to fresh coral fragments.

Requires a large, stable FOWLR or reef system of at least 200 L. Must be trained onto coral fragments or substitute specialist coral-based diets — unlikely to thrive on standard frozen foods alone. Not for beginners or intermediates. Long-term success is rare without dedicated species-appropriate feeding programs.