Habitat of an Auriga Butterfly

Butterfly fish are flat-bodied, colorful, saltwater fish that live around coral reefs. Different types of butterfly fish will exhibit different colors and markings. Their colors and shape, similar to an angelfish, make them popular aquarium fish. If properly care for, the auriga butterfly fish can adapt well to an aquarium environment.

  1. The Auriga and Its Habitat

    • The auriga butterfly fish is identifiable by their yellow rear fins, their black and white striped bodies. The adults have a black band over their eyes, and the juveniles have a black dot on their dorsal fin. It lives along the equatorial region in and along the edges of coral reefs, primarily in the Indian and Pacific oceans.

    The Auriga's Diet

    • Auriga butterfly fish are omnivores. In their natural habitat, they eat hard and soft corals, annelid worms, sea anemones, sponges, algae, etc. A new auriga should be fed live food as it adapts to its new environment. Once it has adapted, an auriga may be fed a wide variety of foods. They can be fed fresh, frozen or freeze dried foods, including shrimp, marine fish, algae and vegetables.

    Aquarium Habitats

    • Because they are a hardy species, aurigas are popular aquarium fish. However, they eat many kinds of coral and it is not recommended that they be kept in the same tank as coral. A large aquarium is best, since they can grow to be 9 inches long. Depending on the size of the fish, a tank between 15 and 50 gallons or more is recommended by many aquarists. Since aurigas like to hide, incorporate many good hiding places into the layout of the aquarium. Because they are used to living in tropical zones, aurigas are best kept in water that is between 76 and 80 degrees.

    Aurigas and Other Fish

    • In their native habitat, aurigas can be found alone, in pairs, or in schools. Although most other fish will not attack and auriga, the auriga will sometimes attack another fish of similar size and shape, regardless of the species. The risk of this may be reduced by giving them a large aquarium with plenty of hiding spaces.