Prognathodes basabei

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Facts
Latin name Prognathodes basabei
Family Chaetodontidae - Prognathodes
Origin Central/West Pacific
Max length 12 cm (4.7")
As aquarium fish
Minimum volume Unknown
Hardiness Unknown
Suitable for aquarium Unknown
Reef safe Unknown
Aggressiveness Unknown
Feed
Beware of
Insufficient information

There is little available knowledge of this species, so there can be important information missing on this page.

Deep sea aquarium

This species lives naturaly in deep water and is therefore best suited in an aquarium which simulates this, in having dimmed lighting.

Keep in mind
Expensive

This species demands a much higher price than similar species.

Descriptions and further reading
Family description (Chaetodontidae)

The Butterflyfish are known for their attractive patterns and colours. They are closely related to Angelfishs, but can always be distinguished, as they lack the spines on each side of the head of the Angelfish.

A smaller group of these fish will seek out primairily soft corals, like Zoanthus. A larger part of the species will target different types of LPS corals. Butterflyfish are also known to seek out anemones, tubeworms and bristleworms.

Therefore it is important to choose the correct species in relation to the corals wanted, if one desires to keep Butterflyfish in a coral-aquarium.
Bristleworms, tubeworms and other small invertebrates are also a part of the diet for many Butterflyfish.

It can be problematic, with many of these species, to get them eating in the beginning, but many of the species cannot resist live zooplankton or live mussels with crushed shells. Another option is to mimic their natural behaviour by stuffing their food into coral skeletons or stones.

They ignore most other fish and are generally peaceful, therefore multiple Butterflyfish will have no problem living together. One should however be cautious about keeping similar species together unless they are a couple.

As these fish can be difficult to acclimatize and get feeding, it is important to buy healthy fish, to avoid having to deal with more problems. Make sure to check that they do not have parasites or any visible infections.

There are some species that should not be kept in an a aquarium, as they are food specialists and will almost always refuse to eat replacement foods. It can be possible to breed some species, which will eat frozen foods. Otherwise the only way to keep food specialists is by feeding them their natural diet, which consists of live SPS or LPS corals for example.

References and further reading

About references

Richard L. Pyle, Randall K. Kosaki. 2016. Prognathodes basabei, a new species of butterflyfish from the Hawaiian Archipelago - ZooKeys - (English)

Joe Oliver. 2014. Prognathodes: more than meets the Aya - Reef Builders - (English)
Bob Fenner. Butterflyfishes of the Genus Prognathodes - Wet Web Media - (English)

Scott W. Michael. 2004. Angelfishes and Butterflyfishes (Reef Fishes Series Book 3) TFH Publications / Microcosm Ltd. - (English)
Bob Fenner. Butterflyfishes; Separating the Good Ones and Those You Don't Want - Wet Web Media - (English)
Collection of links to additional information - Wet Web Media - (English)
Tea Yi Kai. 2014. Reef Nuggets 2: Aquatic Lepidopterans for your reef (Revised edition) - Reef Builders - (English)