Marcella Butterfly

The Marcella Butterfly (Prognathodes marcellae) is a West African butterflyfish with a long snout and fine teeth that help it pick small foods from rockwork, including Aiptasia. Adults show a yellow body with two dark vertical bars (one passing through the eye) and a pale, translucent tail fin.

What You’ll Observe:

• Cruises along the rockwork in short loops, stopping to inspect crevices and overhangs
• Uses quick, precise pecks at the surface as it searches for tiny items to eat
• Becomes most active in open water when food is in the water column, then returns to a preferred route
• Over the first week or two, it typically establishes a regular path and becomes more predictable at feeding times

Provide plenty of live rock with caves plus open swimming lanes so it can forage and move without being crowded. Offer a varied omnivore menu—frozen mysis and finely chopped seafood with some algae-based foods—split into multiple small feedings. It does best when tankmates allow it to feed calmly, and steady day-to-day conditions help it settle into a consistent routine.

What’s the easiest first food to offer during acclimation?
Many keepers start with frozen mysis, enriched brine, or finely chopped clam/mussel to get consistent feeding behavior.

Is it normal if it eats frozen but ignores pellets or flakes?
Yes—some Marcella Butterflies stay on frozen/live-style foods long term; mixing tiny pellets into thawed frozen foods can help build recognition over time.

How can I keep food from being stolen by faster fish?
Target feeding near its preferred rockwork and offering several small “passes” of food can give it more chances to feed at its own pace.

Why does it spend time under ledges even in a large tank?
It commonly uses overhangs as a regular travel route while it browses; as it learns the feeding schedule, you’ll often see it venture out more at meal times.

Can I keep two Marcella Butterflies together?
In larger aquariums, hobbyists sometimes keep a pair, especially when introduced together; providing multiple caves and distinct foraging areas helps them settle into separate routines.

Our selection process means you get robust, well-adjusted specimens that settle in quickly.