Butterflyfishes mostly range from 12 to 22 cm (4.7 to 8.7 in) in length. The largest species, the lined butterflyfish and the saddle butterflyfish, grow to 30 cm (12 in). The common name references the brightly coloured and strikingly patterned bodies of many species, bearing shades of black, white, blue, red, orange, and yellow. Other species are dull in colour. Many have eyepots on their flanks and dark bands across their eyes, not unlike the patterns seen on butterfly wings. Their deep, laterally narrow bodies are easily noticed through the profusion of reef life. The conspicuous coloration of butterflyfishes may be intended for interspecies communication. Butterflyfish have uninterrupted dorsal fins with tail fins that may be rounded or truncated, but are never forked.
Generally diurnal and frequenting waters less than 18 m (59 ft) deep (though some species descend to 180 m (590 ft)), butterflyfishes stick to particular home ranges. These coralivores are especially territorial, forming pairs and staking claim to a specific coral head. Contrastingly, the zooplankton feeders form large conspecific groups. By night, butterflyfish hide in reef crevices and exhibit markedly different coloration.
Butterflyfishes are pelagic spawners; that is, they release many buoyant eggs into the water, which become part of the plankton, floating with the currents until hatching. The fry go through a tholichthys stage, wherein the body of the postlarval fish is covered in large, bony plates extending from the head. They lose their bony plates as they mature. Only one other family of fish, the scats express such an armored stage.
(source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterflyfish)
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Eye-patch butterflyfish
Chaetodon adiergastos
cbpix (C) All rights reserved
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Threadfin butterflyfish
Chaetodon auriga
Ian Scott (C) All rights reserved
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Bluelashed butterflyfish
Chaetodon bennetti
aquapix (C) All rights reserved
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Foureye butterflyfish
Chaetodon capistratus
brian.gratwicke (CC: BY)
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Redtail butterflyfish
Chaetodon collare
aquapix (C) All rights reserved
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Indian vagabond butterflyfish
Chaetodon decussatus
orlandin (C) All rights reserved
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Saddle butterflyfish
Chaetodon ephippium
cbpix (C) All rights reserved
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Blackwedged butterflyfish
Chaetodon falcula
BernardP (CC: BY SA)
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Peppered Butterflyfish
Chaetodon guttatissimus
Boris Pamikov (C) All rights reserved
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Sunburst butterflyfish
Chaetodon kleinii
kaschibo (C) All rights reserved
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Lined butterflyfish
Chaetodon lineolatus
orlandin (C) All rights reserved
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Raccoon butterflyfish
Chaetodon lunula
stephan kerkhofs (C) All rights reserved
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Oval butterflyfish
Chaetodon lunulatus
Luiz A. Rocha (C) All rights reserved
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Blackback butterflyfish
Chaetodon melannotus
orlandin (C) All rights reserved
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Scrawled butterflyfish
Chaetodon meyeri
zsispeo (CC: BY SA)
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Spotfin butterflyfish (adult)
Chaetodon ocellatus
brian.gratwicke (CC: BY)
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Spotfin butterflyfish (subadult)
Chaetodon ocellatus
Brian Gratwicke (CC: BY)
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Spot-tail butterflyfish
Chaetodon ocellicaudus
cbpix (C) All rights reserved
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Eightband butterflyfish
Chaetodon octofasciatus
orlandin (C) All rights reserved
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Ornate butterflyfish (adult)
Chaetodon ornatissimus
zsispeo (CC: BY SA)
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Ornate butterflyfish (juvenile)
Chaetodon ornatissimus
NOAA Photo Library (CC: BY)
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Sunset butterflyfish
Chaetodon pelewensis
NOAA Photo Library (CC: BY)
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Blueblotch butterflyfish
Chaetodon plebeius
Paul and Jill (CC: BY)
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Spotband butterflyfish (whitish)
Chaetodon punctatofasciatus
Luiz A. Rocha (C) All rights reserved
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Spotband butterflyfish (yellowish)
Chaetodon punctatofasciatus
C.K.Ma (C) All rights reserved
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Latticed butterflyfish
Chaetodon rafflesii
orlandin (C) All rights reserved
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Mailed butterflyfish
Chaetodon reticulatus
Timothy Ewing (C) All rights reserved
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Reef butterflyfish
Chaetodon sedentarius
BernardP (CC: BY)
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Banded butterflyfish (adult)
Chaetodon striatus
laszlo-photo (CC: BY)
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Banded butterflyfish (juvenile)
Chaetodon striatus
Peter Leahy (C) All rights reserved
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Chevron butterflyfish
Chaetodon trifascialis
orlandin (C) All rights reserved
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Melon butterflyfish
Chaetodon trifasciatus
zsispeo (CC: BY SA)