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Indian Vagabond Butterflyfish (Chaetodon decussatus)

Find Indian Vagabond Butterflyfish across reef-livestock retailers and from fellow hobbyists on ReefDock. Compare sources, check live pricing where available, and review source-tank parameters on Reef-Trak-verified fish listings before you buy.

Indian Vagabond Butterflyfish
Photo: Charles Alexandre Lesueur · Public domain
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Where to buy Indian Vagabond Butterflyfish

ReefDock searches the following reef retailers for this fish. Click through to see the live price.

  • Saltwaterfish

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  • Amazon

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  • Petco

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About Indian Vagabond Butterflyfish

The Indian Vagabond Butterflyfish has a white to cream-colored body with distinctive black vertical bars and a network of black lines creating a decussate (crossing) pattern. The head is mostly white with a dark eye-bar, and the dorsal and anal fins show yellow or orange tinges. Maximum length is around 5.5 inches.

Key facts

Care Requirements
• Minimum 75 gallon tank • Temperature range 72–82 °F • Salinity range 1.020–1.025 SG • Provide plenty of live rock for grazing and shelter; butterflyfish pick at small crustaceans and algae • Feed 2–3 times daily with varied diet including flakes, frozen foods, and quality prepared items • Can be aggressive toward tankmates, especially conspecifics; house singly or with larger, non-aggressive species
Common Health Issues
Marine ich, Fin Rot, Swim Bladder Disease, Hole in the Head, Columnaris
Min tank size
75 gallons
Diet
omnivore
Feeding Schedule
2-3 times daily
Origin
Indo-Pacific from the Red Sea and East Africa through the Indian Ocean to Indonesia and the western Pacific, including the coasts of India and the Arabian Peninsula.
Reef safety
Reef Safe with Caution
Care Level
Moderate
Temperament
Semi Aggressive
Difficulty Level
Moderately challenging for most hobbyists. Butterflyfish are prone to ich, require stable conditions, and can be finicky feeders. This species is somewhat hardier than many Chaetodon, but not for complete beginners.
Family
Chaetodontidae
Diet Details
In captivity, offer a varied diet of high-quality marine flakes, small frozen foods (mysis shrimp, brine shrimp), and prepared foods designed for butterflyfish. Many individuals benefit from supplemental feeding with zoanthids or soft corals, though some may nip at polyps.

Looking for a hobbyist seller?

ReefDock's marketplace lets reef-keepers sell fish directly to other reef-keepers with Stripe-secured checkout and live-arrival photo confirmation. Browse current fish listings on ReefDock, or list your own.

Verify the source tank before you buy

ReefDock is the sister app to Reef Trak. Sellers who maintain a Reef Trak tank log can publish source-tank parameters on eligible fish listings — so you can see the conditions a fish was raised in before you buy. Log this fish on Reef Trak.

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