Split down the middle african butterfly fish

fishhead0103666

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I recently acquired this awesome african butterfly fish that has one side a dark brown and the other side a lighter brown. The colors have lightened a bit since I first got him but you can clearly still see the line.
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sikoko

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That's awesome I wonder if it has a twin that's opposite
 
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fishhead0103666

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If I ever find one that’s the opposite (or one like him) then I’m getting him immediately. This is a special little guy.
 
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kno4te

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It may have had some trauma.
 
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fishhead0103666

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Well that puts a dampers on my spirits but what do you mean it may have been caused by trauma?
 

kno4te

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Well that puts a dampers on my spirits but what do you mean it may have been caused by trauma?
When fish have this split coloring. It may have hit something and the nerves around that area get injured and trigger the coloring.
 

fishhead0103666

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Well there is another one I just noticed.
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kno4te

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Just remember butterfly fish are known to jump. So keep floating plants or lower the water level.
 
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twentyleagues

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Just remember butterfly fish are known to jump. So keep floating plants or lower the water level.
Yup was just going to say that. I lost one because it freaked out and hit the top of the canopy so hard it killed itself. Unfortunately it didnt die immediately. I thought it just dazed itself so I put it in a shallow tank it swam in tight circles for about 5 min and died. They are like little arowanas in so many ways.
 

fishhead0103666

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I keep my water level rather high but I have some of those cheap, fake, rainbow puke, plastic plants in quarantine I used for them so I’ll move them over.
Let me ask you, would one have to hit the lid at an angle for the line to be straight down the back? It would seem to me that if one of them hit a straight edged object and it did cause this to happen the area where struck would have the line. I however have no areas where it could hit a straight edged surface.

Just saw twenty leagues post, I’ll lower the water surface as well next water change.
 
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