Animal Profiles
Fish

Butterfly Fish

Chaetodontidae

Living

Living individuals or members of this group exist today. This does not mean they are safe from extinction.

Butterflyfishes are conspicuous reef inhabitants with flattened bodies. This account follows the threadfin butterflyfish, an Indo-Pacific species that probes coral surfaces and crevices for food.

Threadfin butterflyfish (Chaetodon auriga), the representative described here.

Threadfin butterflyfish (Chaetodon auriga), the representative described here.

Bernard E. Picton BernardP · CC BY-SA

At a glance

Location
Chaetodon auriga is the representative described here. It lives on tropical reefs from the Red Sea and East Africa across the Indo-Pacific, including areas with scattered rather than continuous coral.
Habitat
Coral reef, Coast
Diet
Omnivore
Food
The fish takes algae and small animals from reef surfaces, including worms and crustaceans.

Classification

Common name
Butterfly Fish
Browse group
Fish
Scientific name or taxon
Chaetodontidae
Taxon rank
family
Order
Perciformes
Family
Chaetodontidae
Source classification
Actinopterygii

Taxonomy checked against GBIF. For breeds and hybrids, this describes the listed parent taxon.

Three things to know

  • Adults develop a trailing dorsal filament.
  • A dark band crosses the eye.
  • It searches reef crevices for food.

Habitat and range

Chaetodon auriga is the representative described here. It lives on tropical reefs from the Red Sea and East Africa across the Indo-Pacific, including areas with scattered rather than continuous coral.

Appearance and adaptations

A dark stripe crosses the eye, and the rear body is yellow. The narrow snout carries a small mouth. Adults develop a long extension from the dorsal fin, giving the species its common name.

Diet and behaviour

The fish takes algae and small animals from reef surfaces, including worms and crustaceans. It is active by day and can occur singly, in pairs or in feeding groups.

Sources

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