Care
The Margined Coralfish is known from the tropical coastal reefs of northern Australia: from the Abrolhos Islands, Western Australia, over to the Great Barrier Reef, and Papua New Guinea. This is a delicate species that is seldom seen in the trade, and is recommended for advanced aquarists only. Provide a large, mature aquarium with plenty of live rock that forms dark nooks and crannies. The elongated snout allows the Margined Coralfish to search for food morsels deep amongst the decor. Many soft corals are safe enough with a well-fed Margined Coralfish in the tank, as are small-polyped-stony (SPS) corals; however, some specimens will nibble at zoanthids, feather dusters, sponges, polychaete worms, anemones, and long-polyped-stony (LPS) corals and inflict a fair bit of damage. Keep only one per tank, and not with any other butterflyfish species. Tankmates should be of a peaceful nature, otherwise this shy fish may not feel confident enough to venture out for food. Will help to control the pest anemone Aiptasia. Most unfortunately, this is a species that has a rather irregular survival rate in captivity, so it is imperative that the conscientious aquarist is certain that all its needs can be met, before considering purchase. The main difficulty seems to arise with feeding these wild-caught fish; some specimens will take food right away, others may need more enticement with a wide variety of foodstuffs. Garlic and vitamin enriched foods can be very beneficial for the settling in phase. As with all butterflyfishes, this sensitive species demands excellent water quality - thoroughly filtered and well oxygenated, with areas of decent current. Juvenile fish sport a posterior bar and dorsal fin spot, which fade and eventually disappear with age/growth. May also be seen on sale as the Australian Margined Coralfish, Margined Butterflyfish, Marginalis Butterflyfish, or Western Beaked Butterflyfish.
Feeding
Challenging. Be prepared to have a wide variety of foodstuffs at hand. Offer garlic-enriched brineshrimp, vitamin-enriched brineshrimp, Mysis shrimp, finely chopped krill/prawns/cockle/mussel/clam meat and other frozen carnivore preparations. Frozen glassworm (white mosquito larvae) is nutritious and might help to get your fish interested in eating. Try to soak all frozen foods in a vitamin supplement prior to feeding. It is rare for these fish to take dried foods, but they are most certainly worth a go. If you have a refugium with living rock, try rotating pieces of this rock with pieces from the main tank, so that the Margined Coralfish has a continual supply of natural foodstuffs to forage for. These fish will need to be fed in small amounts several times per day.
Breeding
The Margined Coralfish has not been bred in the home aquarium. In the wild, this egg-scattering species is said to form distinct pairs.
