While many of the butterflyfishes are challenging—if not outright impossible—to maintain in captivity for one reason or another, there are various species that go against the grain and make excellent or reasonably solid aquarium candidates. Among the “reasonably solid” species is the pyramid butterflyfish (Hemitaurichthys polylepis)—a generally hardy, adaptable, not-too-difficult-to-feed, and beautiful chaetodontid from the Indo-Pacific. I wouldn’t rate this species foolproof by any means, but it’s fairly durable as butterflyfishes go.

Physical traits

H. polylepis is highly laterally compressed (flattened from side to side—typical of butterflies) with a relatively short snout and small, terminal mouth. Its head is brownish in color, and it has a broad, white pyramid-shaped pattern on its flanks, from which its common name is derived. The caudal fin and paired fins are also white, while the rest of the body is bright yellow. Maximum length for this species is right around 7 inches.

Feeding

The pyramid butterflyfish is a zooplankton feeder, typically congregating in large shoals and snatching tiny prey items from the water column. Captive specimens will accept items like mysis shrimp, finely chopped crustacean or mollusk meat, and frozen formulas like LRS Reef Frenzy®. As with most plankton feeders, H. polylepis should be fed several times per day.

Housing

Being a plankton feeder and requiring a decent amount of open swimming space, H. polylepis should be afforded a fairly decent-sized tank—at least 125 gallons in my opinion. You’ll want a tank this size or even bigger if you plan to keep a pair or small group of this species.