| Butterflyfish are the favorite of many divers. These mild-mannered fish are easily recognized by their thin, oval shaped bodies, bright colors and graceful manner. They are all generally white to silver with yellow coloration and black tints. Butterflyfish get their common name from their thin, oval shaped body that resembles a butterfly's wing. Ichthyologists classify butterflyfish in the family Chaetodontidae, named for their comb-like tooth design. Butterflyfish can be distinguished from angelfish by their smaller size (three to eight inches), rounded bodies, concave heads and protruding mouths. In contrast, the larger Angelfish exhibit long, streaming dorsal and anal fins and have a more rounded forehead |
| Butterflyfish pairs mate for extended periods of time, possibly for a lifetime. Studies have found butterflyfish to be monogamous for up to ten years. Territorial defense is seldom seen except late in the day during their courtship period. |
| While there are about 120 species of butterflyfish worldwide, only seven species make their home in the Caribbean and Tropical Western Atlantic waters. Two of the seven species are rarely seen by divers. The Bank Butterflyfish is rarely seen in waters less than 100 feet deep and the Threeband Butterflyfish inhabits reefs deeper than 200 feet. Most commonly seen species are the Foureye, Banded, Spotfin, Reef and Longsnout Butterflyfish. |
| Butterflyfish spend their days darting about the reef, using their sharp vision to spot tiny worms, polyps and other invertebrates. Each species tends to have its favorite foods. The Foureye Butterflyfish is especially fond of gorgonian polyps, while the Banded Butterflyfish prefers exposed polychaete or bristleworm appendages usually found on shallow reef crests. Reef and Spotfin Butterflyfish live slightly deeper and usually stay on high profile reefs where they feast on tubeworms, hydroids and small crustaceans. The Longsnout butterflyfish can also be found in deeper waters than the other four common butterflyfish, and use their protrusible mouths to dine on Christmas Tree Worms. |
| A unique characteristic of butterflyfish is their defense mechanism. They are one of the few fish which do not usually flee from predators. Since they are unable to swim faster than predators with elongated bodies, butterflyfish rely on eye camouflage and their spiny dorsal fins for defense. Two antipredatory devices are the dark eye bands and false eye spots. Butterflyfish have dark bands over their eyes for camouflage and the Foureye Butterflyfish also has false eyespots to confuse predators and cause them to misdirect attacks. The large size of the false eyespots also helps to discourage attacks. When a predator swallows butterflyfish head first, the dorsal fins tend to fold down, allowing them to swallow their prey. However, when a predator swallows butterflyfish tail first, the spiny dorsal fins fold out to painfully rake the predator's throat causing them to release their prey. Researcher S. Neudecker concluded that butterflyfish do not flee large potential predators; instead they turn sideways to display their vibrant coloring and eye camouflage. Very few butterflyfish have been found in the stomachs of piscivores. Their defense mechanism must work well! The bony reward may not be worth the pain. |
