denise
08-12-2008, 05:04 PM
There are more than 110 species of butterflyfish, 6 are common in Florida. They are brightly colored small to medium sized fish, with vibrant coloring similar to land butterflies. Most have eyespots on their backs and dark bands across their eyes, again similar to their land namesakes. They dart around the reefs quickly, usually on the hunt for food using their keen eyesight. Some buuterflyfish have a “false eye” on each side of their flank, which distracts potential predators from the butterfly fish's own head, giving them precious time to escape.
Most butterflyfishes are highly specialized coral feeders, using their well adapted tubular snout to extract food from the crevices and cracks in the reefs. They feast on a range of coral polyps, anemones, algae and even invertebrates they pluck from their hiding spaces.
Like angelfish, they are diurnal animals, exploring and feeding by day, and hiding at night in the coral reef. Most butterfly fishes are found in shallow water (< 80 feet), in particular home ranges. They usually travel alone or in pairs.
http://www.scubadiver.cc/forums/gallery/files/4/5/1/spotfinbutterflyfshrobert_1.jpg
Spotfin Butterfly fish, Chaetodon ocellatus, West Palm Beach
Photo by Robert Palmer
http://www.dayo.com/fishid/spotfinbutterflyfishrob_1.jpg
Close up of a spotfin butterfly fish
Photo by Robert Palmer
Their name is derived from the dark spot on the fish's dorsal fin. This, combined with the distinctive black, vertical bar that runs through their eye, is designed to confuse potential predators (which normally grab the head end of the fish). Predators can't see the "real" eyes of the fish, and confuse the dark spot on each side of the dorsal fin as the fish's eyes. When they nip at these, the spotfin butterflyfish is alerted and swims to safety.
http://www.scubadiver.cc/fishid/foureyebutterflyfish.jpg
Foureye butterflyfish, Chaetodon capistratus, Molasses Reef.
This fish gets its common name from a large dark spot on the rear portion of each side of the body. This spot is surrounded by a bright white ring, resembling an eye. A black vertical bar on the head runs through the true eyes, making them hard to see. This pattern confuses potential predators, so they cant tell the front end of the fish from the back end. Like the banded butterflyfish, when nipped, the flee in the opposite direction the predator expects them to! In addition, foureye butterflyfish will often turn to face their aggressors, with their head lowered and spines fully erect, like a bull about to charge. This often intimidates the predator into thinking that the butterflyfish is too spiny to make a comfortable meal.
http://www.scubadiver.cc/forums/gallery/files/4/5/1/foureyebutterflyfishrobert_1.jpg
Foureye butterfly fish, West Palm Beach
Photo by Robert Palmer
http://www.scubadiver.cc/forums/gallery/files/1/1/8/5/reefbutterflyfishjoe_1.jpg
Reef butterflyfish, Chaetodon sedentarius, West Palm Beach
Photo by Joe Stillman
These are deeper dwelling fish, usually found below 40 feet.
http://www.dayo.com/images/forum/bandedbutterflyfishdebbie_11.jpg
Banded Butterflyfish, Chaetodon striatus, West Palm Beach
Photos by Debbie Buck
http://www.dayo.com/fishid/debbiebuck/bandedbutterflydebi.jpg
Adult banded butterflyfish sometimes form plankton-feeding groups of more than 20 fish, and will "clean" other reef fish that join the group too, such as grunts, parrotfish and surgeon fishes.
http://www.dayo.com/fishid/longsnoutbutterflyfish_1.jpg
Longsnout butterflyfish, Chaetodon aculeatus, West Palm Beach
This species of butterflyfish is quite small, on average of 2-3 inches long, and has a long snout that gives it its common name. They are much more solitary than other butterflyfish. They are abundant throughout their range, on natural and artificial reefs, from 30-200 ft in depth, off Florida, the Bahamas, Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. Longsnout butterflyfish spend most of their time searching along reefs for food. They are fond of sea urchins tube feet, and tubeworm tentacles. Unlike the other members of the butterflyfish family, longsnout butterflyfish do not pick parasites from other fish.
Most butterflyfishes are highly specialized coral feeders, using their well adapted tubular snout to extract food from the crevices and cracks in the reefs. They feast on a range of coral polyps, anemones, algae and even invertebrates they pluck from their hiding spaces.
Like angelfish, they are diurnal animals, exploring and feeding by day, and hiding at night in the coral reef. Most butterfly fishes are found in shallow water (< 80 feet), in particular home ranges. They usually travel alone or in pairs.
http://www.scubadiver.cc/forums/gallery/files/4/5/1/spotfinbutterflyfshrobert_1.jpg
Spotfin Butterfly fish, Chaetodon ocellatus, West Palm Beach
Photo by Robert Palmer
http://www.dayo.com/fishid/spotfinbutterflyfishrob_1.jpg
Close up of a spotfin butterfly fish
Photo by Robert Palmer
Their name is derived from the dark spot on the fish's dorsal fin. This, combined with the distinctive black, vertical bar that runs through their eye, is designed to confuse potential predators (which normally grab the head end of the fish). Predators can't see the "real" eyes of the fish, and confuse the dark spot on each side of the dorsal fin as the fish's eyes. When they nip at these, the spotfin butterflyfish is alerted and swims to safety.
http://www.scubadiver.cc/fishid/foureyebutterflyfish.jpg
Foureye butterflyfish, Chaetodon capistratus, Molasses Reef.
This fish gets its common name from a large dark spot on the rear portion of each side of the body. This spot is surrounded by a bright white ring, resembling an eye. A black vertical bar on the head runs through the true eyes, making them hard to see. This pattern confuses potential predators, so they cant tell the front end of the fish from the back end. Like the banded butterflyfish, when nipped, the flee in the opposite direction the predator expects them to! In addition, foureye butterflyfish will often turn to face their aggressors, with their head lowered and spines fully erect, like a bull about to charge. This often intimidates the predator into thinking that the butterflyfish is too spiny to make a comfortable meal.
http://www.scubadiver.cc/forums/gallery/files/4/5/1/foureyebutterflyfishrobert_1.jpg
Foureye butterfly fish, West Palm Beach
Photo by Robert Palmer
http://www.scubadiver.cc/forums/gallery/files/1/1/8/5/reefbutterflyfishjoe_1.jpg
Reef butterflyfish, Chaetodon sedentarius, West Palm Beach
Photo by Joe Stillman
These are deeper dwelling fish, usually found below 40 feet.
http://www.dayo.com/images/forum/bandedbutterflyfishdebbie_11.jpg
Banded Butterflyfish, Chaetodon striatus, West Palm Beach
Photos by Debbie Buck
http://www.dayo.com/fishid/debbiebuck/bandedbutterflydebi.jpg
Adult banded butterflyfish sometimes form plankton-feeding groups of more than 20 fish, and will "clean" other reef fish that join the group too, such as grunts, parrotfish and surgeon fishes.
http://www.dayo.com/fishid/longsnoutbutterflyfish_1.jpg
Longsnout butterflyfish, Chaetodon aculeatus, West Palm Beach
This species of butterflyfish is quite small, on average of 2-3 inches long, and has a long snout that gives it its common name. They are much more solitary than other butterflyfish. They are abundant throughout their range, on natural and artificial reefs, from 30-200 ft in depth, off Florida, the Bahamas, Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. Longsnout butterflyfish spend most of their time searching along reefs for food. They are fond of sea urchins tube feet, and tubeworm tentacles. Unlike the other members of the butterflyfish family, longsnout butterflyfish do not pick parasites from other fish.