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Introduction
With I imagine very few exceptions every reef tank in this country will have at least one species of Mushroom Coral.

The Latin names for these corals are usually Actinidiscus, Discosoma, Rhodactis, Ricordia to name but a few. The common names don't really help much apart from aiding the hobbyist to know what colour or shape mushroom coral they are buying, e.g. watermelon, furry, green furry, knobbly, spotted, again the list goes on.

The fact is that what ever species of Mushroom Coral you have, they are a piece of cake to propagate and, without putting too finer a point on it, it is simply a matter of cutting off the head, cutting this into four and wait for it to heal and attach before cutting it again.

General Information
Mushroom Corals grow well and reproduce naturally on their own in favourable conditions. This natural reproduction can take several forms dependant on the species and individual coral. Some species will reproduce by stretching their foot away from the coral base, anchoring the tip in place and then retracting the foot, leaving the tip in its new location.

The length of stretched foot will eventually tear completely. The blob of foot budded off will very quickly transform in shape, size and colour and within three weeks will be a perfect miniature mushroom. Other species simply tear themselves in half by stretching their mouths until they divide themselves in two. Again the healing process is very quick and within a matter of weeks the two halves will be perfect mushrooms.
  However the method of propagation I am going to describe will turn one mushroom into five in usually no more than three weeks and will enable you to have propagated corals that are not attached to the same piece of rock, allowing you to establish new colonies in your own system, or trade your corals with other hobbyists.

In this article I am taking for granted that your reefs system is running well and all water parameters and conditions are within "standard" parameters (if there is such a thing).

The two points I would make is that in my experience the addition of iodine to the tank makes Mushroom Corals grow larger and quicker, stand up off the rock more (making propagation easier) and generally look healthier.

Secondly, mushroom corals hate being moved, even if just from one end of the tank to the other and they may take up to a week to return to their usual size.

Tools/Equipment Needed
• Sharp Pair of Scissors
• Small Container Tank Water (Jam Jar for example, in which to temporarily place the cut mushroom heads)
• Kitchen Roll
• Shallow Dish (The size of this dish will be dependant on the size of your tank. I use a shallow Tupperware container. Anything will do as long as it is food quality plastic, and will fit into the space you have for it in your tank.)
• Rock Chippings/Crushed Shell

  The Propagation Method
Select a healthy Mushroom Coral and with the scissors cut the mushroom's head off. Take the cutting æ of the way down the stem. Place the cutting into the container with the tank water. Continue to cut as many mushrooms as required. I usually take four or five at a time.

††A good tip here is to remove the mushroom rock from the tank if possible and hang this rock upside down over the container, the corals will hang down from the rock and when cut will drop straight into the container of tank water, making cutting these corals quick, easy and not too messy. If you have handled these corals you will know that they are very slimy and handling them can become tricky, so this method works very well.

Propagation

The foot or base of the Mushroom Coral that you have left on the rock will, over a period of a week to ten days, begin to heal. It will also form the basic mushroom shape and then develop its mouth. It will take up to a further fortnight for the colour to be produced and the foot to have changed into a brand new mushroom - ready to be propagated again!

Propagation

Prior to taking the cuttings prepare the shallow dish. This is the container that your cuttings will spend the next month or so in, allowing them to heal and attach themselves. Cover the bottom of the container completely with the rock chippings or crushed shell. Fill the container with tank water. You are now ready to complete the propagation process.


  Remove your Mushroom Coral from the holding container and place it on a sheet of kitchen roll. The kitchen roll soaks up any additional water released by the coral, as well as the mucus the coral excretes.

This will make the next stage of the process a little bit easier. These few seconds drying and exposure to air do not cause any damage to the coral. Once you are ready, pick up the Mushroom Coral and with one clean cut, cut the coral in half.

Repeat the procedure with the two halves. The Mushroom Coral is now in four segments, like pieces of cake. These cuttings can now be rinsed in the container of tank water and then placed into the shallow container ready to go into the tank.

Propagation

Once you have completed cutting and the segments of coral are in the shallow container, return the container to your tank. Place it in an area of relatively low water movement. The idea being that the container prevents the cuttings from being blown about the tank and allows them the time required to heal. It also keeps them in constant contact with the rock chippings or crushed shell allowing them to attach.

Within a week you will notice the cuttings swelling and becoming more of a complete circle again. Within a fortnight they are usually attached to the rock chippings, looking extremely healthy and are usually at least 80% healed. Within another week they will look like they have never been touched. At this stage they can be attached to a larger piece of rock. Milliput or Super Glue (Cynoacrylic) is ideal for attaching the rock or shell chippings to another larger piece of rock or coral plug.

Final Thought
The resilience, healing and growing powers of these corals never ceases to amaze me and I would have to say they are one of the easiest corals to propagate. I have never experienced any problems with the many different species I have propagated.
Propagation
In an attempt to break new ground and provide readers with some exclusive material on the amazing butterflyfishes, Marine World, in conjunction with Vincent Hargreaves, has had a team of divers spend a week in Western Australia looking for rare specimens to photograph.

Not only does this series of articles include some amazing photographs of some of the world’s best underwater photographers but we are also pleased to be the first magazine to report on a new species of butterflyfish which is currently being described.
Amphichaetodon howensis
There are currently 125 valid species in this family and I intend to describe and illustrate all of them over the coming months. The series should prove to be a valuable reference work for the future, so you should keep the copies of Marine World safe in a binder! In this article, the first 12 species are described. If any reader has a photograph of an unusual species of butterflyfish, or would like to identify the species they have in their tank, I can be contacted by e-mail at atollreef@aol.com.

General information
Butterflyfishes belong to the family Chaetodontidae. This encompasses a group of fishes with striking characteristics. Generally, they are disc-shaped and strongly compressed with deep bodies, and high backs. The snout is often elongated and the mouth is armed with tiny brush-like teeth (hence, Chaetodon = bristle teeth). There is a single, continuous dorsal fin without a notch between the spinous and soft parts. Butterflyfishes rate amongst the most colourful fishes on the reef. Most species have a black vertical bar running down the head and through the eye. It is thought that this serves to confuse predators. This, along with a prominent black ‘eye spot’ that many species exhibit, serves to mislead an attacking fish into thinking it is aiming for the head when, in fact, it is the tail. The ruse is then complete when the butterflyfish darts away in a totally unexpected direction.

Adult fishes are often seen on the reef during the day, usually singly or in pairs. Juveniles, on the other hand, are frequently encountered in small groups of up to twenty individuals. At night, many assume a shadowy night time colouration and retire into a nearby crevice or hole between the corals. This hiding place is arbitrary and is simply the nearest safe haven at nightfall. All of these species are essentially shallow water fishes that inhabit reef shallows, lagoons, back-reef areas and coral pools. Some may venture down to depths of over 100 feet (30 metres) but this is not common. The exceptions to this include the Lemon butterflyfish (Chaetodon miliaris), which is found on the reefs of the Hawaiian Islands. Using a submersible, scientists found this species at depths of over 830 feet (250 metres).

Their diet is very varied but usually consists of benthic algae along with small anemones, coral polyps, polychaetes, crustaceans and various minute invertebrates and plankton. Their elongated snouts are specifically developed to enable them to forage for food between the coral heads and rocks. In a single feeding foray, a pair of fish can cover a vast area of the reef.

Knowledgeable readers will notice that I have omitted the so-called Chaetodon andamanensis Kuiter & Debelius, 1999. Until DNA analysis proves otherwise, I regard this is as an invalid species and I place it in the synonymy of Chaetodon plebeius. My reasons for doing so will become apparent when C. plebeius is discussed in a later article.


  Chaetodon adiergastos

Chaetodon adiergastos

Seale, 1910

Common name
Philippine butterflyfish

Natural habitat:

Around soft coral on coral reefs, usually in pairs or small groups, in the Indo-West Pacific from the Ryukyu Islands to Australia and including the Philippine Islands and Indonesia.

Maximum adult size

6.3 inches (16cm)

Description
The body colour is white with thin diagonal brown stripes on the sides. The dorsal, anal and pelvic fins are yellow and the soft portions of the dorsal and anal fins have brownish-black margins. The caudal fin base is yellow, which extends roughly half its length. After this there is a narrow brownish black bar leaving the rest of the fin transparent. Young fish have a black ocellus that fades with age. There is a broad black eye bar and a large dark blotch on the nape.

Aquarium suitability
This is a surprisingly easy butterflyfish to keep in an aquarium, but unfortunately it is not often imported. If it is housed in a reef tank, it will not do any damage to stony corals once it has got used to its normal aquarium feeding regime. Despite this, it should not be housed with arborescent forms of soft coral, such as Nephthea and Alcyonium species.

Chaetodon argentatus

Chaetodon argentatus
Smith & Radcliffe, 1911

Common names

Black pearl butterflyfish, Silver butterflyfish

Natural habitat
Central Indo-Pacific to the Indo-West Pacific in pairs or small aggregations in areas of dense coral growth.

Maximum adult size:

8 inches (20cm)

Description

The body is laterally compressed and silvery white in color, with some scales edged in black. A black bar is present through the eye but is often indistinct. A second bar from the dorsal to the pectoral base is clearer. A wide mid-body bar ends halfway down the side and the fourth bar, much clearer defined, extends across the caudal base from the soft dorsal to soft anal fins. The belly is often bright yellow in juveniles and there are two dark bars on the tail.

Aquarium suitability
Does quite well in a large enough aquarium and is one of the hardier species of Butterflyfishes. It is sometimes inclined to be aggressive towards its smaller relatives. Most foods are accepted but a particular favourite is frozen adult brine shrimp.

Chaetodon assarius

Chaetodon assarius
Waite, 1905

Common names
West Australian butterflyfish, Western butterflyfish.

Natural habitat
In small schools on rocky reefs and sandy seagrass beds of the Southeast Indian Ocean. It is endemic in Western Australia from the Perth area to Shark Bay.

Maximum adult size
5.1 inches (13cm)

Description
This is a close relative of Chaetodon guentheri from Southeast Australia. There is a broad white-edged black bar through the eye and the body is Tan or white in juveniles. The dorsal fin is dusky yellow and has a white-edged black ocellus on the soft portion that reduces in size with age. The base of the anal fin and caudal peduncle are dark ochre and the anal fin has a black submarginal border. There are five narrow bars that run vertically from the base of the spinous dorsal fin to the mid-body region roughly level with the eye. The pelvic fins are translucent or white.

Aquarium suitability
Not often imported into Europe or the United States. Nevertheless, this is a relatively easy fish to keep and feed. It should be provided with a tank containing plenty of live rock on which it can graze. Its natural diet consists of plankton, algae and the tiny invertebrates that are ingested with this. This is one of the butterflyfishes that can be kept in a mature reef tank.

Chaetodon aureofasciatus

Chaetodon aureofasciatus

Macleay, 1878

Common names
Golden butterflyfish, Golden-striped butterflyfish

Natural habitat
Indo-West Pacific from New Guinea, Australia from the Great Barrier Reef to Western Australia and Melanesia. Usually encountered singly or in pairs in inshore reefs and coastal areas.

Maximum adult size
5 inches (12.5cm)

Description
The closest relative to this fish is C. rainfordi with which it bears many similarities. In this case though, there are no bars on the body and the median and pelvic fins are bright yellow. Like C. rainfordi, there is a black-edged orange bar through the eye, although this is not joined at the nape.

Aquarium suitability
This fish is not suitable for a reef tank because its natural diet comprises coral polyps as well as algae and other benthic invertebrates. Although it is capable of withstanding high changes in the specific gravity of seawater (it is often encountered in river mouths and estuaries) it is difficult to get to feed. Live blood worms (Enchytrae) seem the best bet at the start, followed by frozen ones from your pet supplier. After that, it’s only a matter of time before they accept other foods.

 

Chaetodon auriga

Chaetodon auriga

Forsskål, 1775

Common names
Threadfin butterflyfish, Golden butterflyfish, Threadfin, Diagonal butterflyfish

Natural habitat
Entire Tropical Indo-Pacific and Red Sea in back reef areas, lagoons and reef channels. They are found singly or in pairs in the reef shallows to depths of up to 35 feet (10 metres).

Size
8 inches (20cm)

Chaetodon auriga

Description
The Threadfin butterflyfish is common throughout its natural range and is easily befriended by divers offering morsels of food. Adult specimens have a long dorsal filament. Specimens from the Red Sea lack the ocellus on the soft dorsal fin and the dorsal filament is shorter. Young fish have a bright yellow dorsal area, which extends down across the caudal peduncle onto the soft portion of the anal fin.

Aquarium suitability
This is one of the easiest of all the Butterflyfishes to keep. The aquarium should be large enough and have plenty of hiding places into which it can retire at night. Provide good water quality and an assortment of frost foods in its diet and this fish will flourish.

Chaetodon auripes

Chaetodon auripes
Jordan & Snyder, 1901

Common names
Oriental butterflyfish, Gold butterflyfish

Natural habitat
Rocky reefs from Japan to Taiwan in coastal areas, sometimes where the water temperature is as low as 50o F (10o C.)

Maximum adult size
8 inches (20cm)

Description
Young fish have a black ocellus on the sort dorsal fin, which disappears with age. The snout is silver to bluish-grey and there is a black eye band present. Behind this eye band there is a broad white bar that extends from the nape to the base of the opercle. This white bar has caused much confusion in the past between this species and C. collare. However, C. auripes has a yellow-gold body colour with narrow horizontal stripes. The caudal fin is yellow with a submarginal black bar and the soft portions of the dorsal and anal fins have black margins with white sub-marginally.

Aquarium suitability
Although this species is seldom imported it settles down well to aquarium life. It is robust and eager to accept most foods that are offered once it feels happy with its new surroundings. In the wild, it feeds on benthic invertebrates such as polychaetes and coral polyps. In a tank environment though, it will accept krill, mysid shrimp, Artemia, frozen plankton and finely chopped shellfish.

Chaetodon austriacus

Chaetodon austriacus
Rüppell, 1836

Common name
Blacktail butterflyfish

Natural habitat
Found in areas of dense coral growth throughout the Western Indian Ocean and Red Sea. Juveniles form small aggregations in and around a single coral head.

Maximum adult size
5.1 inches (13cm)

Description
Easily confused with C. melapterus and C. trifasciatus. However, in this case the anal and caudal fins are black with yellow margins in adults. Juveniles are less colourful than their adult counterparts. They have a large yellow-edged ocellus on the caudal peduncle. The dorsal fin is white with a submarginal border of black in the soft dorsal portion. There is a black bar through the eye and a second bluish-grey bar from the dorsal base to the lower angle of the operculum. The body colouration is predominantly yellow with narrow, bluish stripes that are intense dorsally, becoming indistinct ventrally. A broad horizontal daub of black is present in the third stripe towards the posterior dorsal region.

Aquarium suitability
Feeds almost exclusively on coral polyps, therefore it is difficult to get to feed in an aquarium. Occasional specimens have been coaxed onto alternative aquarium foods and these do well. However, this is the exception, rather than the rule.

Chaetodon baronessa

Chaetodon baronessa
Cuvier, 1829

Common name
Triangular butterflyfish

Natural habitat
Western Pacific to central Indo-Pacific. It is common on the Great Barrier Reef and is usually encountered in pairs in reef shallows.

Size
6 inches (15cm)

Description
The body carries a series of chevron markings and the margins of the dorsal, anal and ventral fins are chrome yellow. There are three vertical bars on the head and the snout is often dull orange. It is easily confused with Chaetodon triangulum. However, C. baronessa lacks the yellow-edged triangular mark on the tail.

Aquarium suitability
Although this species is reported to be quite difficult to keep, the fat and healthy specimen shown here had, at the time this photograph was taken, already spent two and a half years in an aquarium. Its diet consisted of a variety of frozen foods supplemented with flake food and it did little if any damage to the live corals in the aquarium. Nevertheless, this species will not tolerate high nitrate levels.

 

Chaetodon bennetti

Chaetodon bennetti

Cuvier, 1831

Common name
Bennett’s butterflyfish

Natural habitat
Juveniles are found in reef shallows and lagoons, sometimes in small groups of four or five individuals. Adults are usually encountered singly or in pairs on outer reef slopes.

Maximum adult size
7 inches (18cm)

Description
The overall body colouration is bright yellow and there is a blue-edged black bar through the eye. Juveniles have a white-edged black lateral ocellus below the spinous dorsal fin. As the fish grows, the white margin turns to deep blue. Two broad blue lines, which are widely separated, curve upwards from the base of the anal fin and finally converge at the upper angle of the gill cover. A dull orange bar is present across the caudal peduncle.

Aquarium suitability
This species feeds exclusively on coral polyps and is extremely difficult to feed in captivity. Limited success has been achieved by spreading chopped squid and krill on live rock, in order to induce the fish to feed. Nevertheless, this is perhaps one of the species that is better left on the reef.

Chaetodon blackburnii

Chaetodon blackburnii
Desjardins, 1836

Common names

Rayed butterflyfish, Brownburnie
Natural habitat: Coral reefs on outer reef slopes in the Western Indian Ocean from Kenya to Mauritius and Madagascar.

Maximum adult size
5.1 inches (13cm)

Description
Juveniles have dark brown bodies with bright yellow on and behind the operculum. Adults are somewhat lighter in colour and the opercular region is often brownish-yellow. There is a dark eye bar present and the caudal fin is white with a translucent margin. Six or more diagonal bars adorn the sides of the body, but these are not so readily apparent in juveniles. The dorsal and anal fins are brownish-black and the pelvic fins are bright yellow.

Aquarium suitability
Not often imported into Europe, but in the United States this species has grown in popularity because of its hardiness. Although it is not the most colourful of all the butterflyfishes, it makes up for this by its eagerness to feed on most foods that are offered. An excellent aquarium fish!

Chaetodon burgessi

Chaetodon burgessi
Allen & Starck, 1973

Common name
Burgess’ butterflyfish

Natural habitat
On reef drop-offs where there is an abundance of gorgonians and black coral throughout the Western Pacific from Indonesia and the Philippines to Palau.

Maximum adult size
5.5 inches (14cm)

Description
The body is white with three broad, brownish-black diagonal bars. The first of these is the eye bar. A second runs from the nape to a point just below and behind the pectoral fin. The third bar runs from the base of the third dorsal spine to the anal fin leaving the dorsal fin, caudal peduncle and posterior portion of the anal fin deep brownish-black. The tail is white or translucent and the dorsal fin has a narrow white margin.

Aquarium suitability
With a bold attitude and a great appetite, Chaetodon burgessi is probably one of the hardiest butterflyfishes in captivity. It is not common but soon settles down to aquarium life.

Chaetodon capistratus

Chaetodon capistratus
Linnaeus, 1758

Common name
Mock-eye butterflyfish, Four-eye butterflyfish

Natural habitat
Widespread in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico in a variety of habitats around coral reefs.

Maximum adult size
5 inches (13cm)

Description
A very attractive species with delicate colouration. There is a dark bar through the eye and a series of thin, chevron-formed bars along the body. The nape, snout and ventral regions are yellow and there is a large, white-edged black ocellus forward and above the caudal peduncle.

Aquarium suitability
Despite some conflicting accounts from other aquarists and aquarium book authors, this fish is quite easy to keep and hardy once it is settled down to tank life. All foods that are offered will be readily accepted


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