The butterflyfish are a group of conspicuous tropical marine fish of the family Chaetodontidae. Found mostly on the reefs of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, butterflyfish are fairly small, most from 12-22 centimetres in length. The largest species, the lined butterflyfish (Chaetodon lineolatus) grows to 30 cm. There are approximately 127 species in eleven genera. They should not be confused with the freshwater butterflyfish of the family Pantodontidae. A giant grouper at the Georgia Aquarium Fish are aquatic vertebrates that are typically cold-blooded, covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins. ... A reef surrounding an islet. ... The Atlantic Ocean forms a component of the all-encompassing World Ocean and is directly linked to the Arctic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the Southern Ocean. ... Binomial name Cuvier, 1831 // Red Sea [1] ^ Chaetodon lineolatus. FishBase. ... Binomial name Pantodon buchholzi Peters, 1877 // Classification Freshwater butterflyfish or African butterflyfish have no relation to their saltwater namesakes. ... Classification Pantodontidae is made up of one species known as the African butterflyfish or Freshwater butterflyfish. ...

Butterflyfish are named for their brightly coloured and strikingly patterned bodies in shades of black, white, blue, red, orange and yellow (though some species are dull in colour). Many have eyespots on their flanks and dark bands across their eyes, not unlike the patterns seen on butterfly wings. Their deep, laterally compressed bodies are easily noticed through the profusion of reef life, leading most to believe the conspicuous coloration of butterflyfish is intended for interspecies communication. Butterflyfish have uninterrupted dorsal fins with tail fins that may be rounded or truncated, but are never forked. Superfamilies and families Superfamily Hedyloidea: Hedylidae Superfamily Hesperioidea: Hesperiidae Superfamily Papilionoidea: Papilionidae Pieridae Nymphalidae Lycaenidae Riodinidae A butterfly is an insect of the order Lepidoptera. ...

The family name Chaetodontidae derives from the Greek words chaite meaning "hair" and odontos meaning "tooth." This is an allusion to the rows of brush-like teeth found in their small, protrusile mouths. Butterflyfish closely resemble the Angelfish of the family Pomacanthidae but are distinguished from the latter by their lack of preopercle spines (part of the gill covers). Genera Apolemichthys Centropyge Chaetodontoplus Genicanthus Holacanthus Pomacanthus Pygoplites Marine angelfish are perciform fish of the family Pomacanthidae. ...

Their coloration also makes butterflyfish popular in the aquaria hobby. However, most species feed on coral polyps (corallivores) and sea anemones; this poses a problem in most reef tanks where a delicate balance is to be maintained. Species kept in the hobby are therefore the few generalists and specialist zooplankton feeders. Aquarium is also the name of the Russian band, which is also spelled Akvarium A 335,000 gallon (1. ... Extant Subclasses and Orders Alcyonaria    Alcyonacea    Helioporacea Zoantharia    Antipatharia    Corallimorpharia    Scleractinia    Zoanthidea [1][2]  See Anthozoa for details For other uses, see Coral (disambiguation). ... Anatomy of a coral polyp. ... Families Many, see text. ... A reef tank or reef aquarium is considered to be one of the most difficult aquarium setups to create and maintain. ... Photomontage of plankton organisms Plankton is the aggregate community of weakly swimming but mostly drifting small organisms that inhabit the water column of the ocean, seas, and bodies of freshwater. ...

Generally diurnal and frequenting shallow waters of less than 18 metres (some species found to 180 metres), butterflyfish stick to particular home ranges. The corallivores are especially territorial, forming mated pairs and staking claim to their own head of coral. Contrastingly, the zooplankton feeders will form large conspecific groups. By night butterflyfish hide amongst the crevices of the reef and exhibit markedly different coloration than they do by day.

Butterflyfish are pelagic spawners; that is, they release many buoyant eggs into the water which then become part of the plankton, floating with the currents until hatching. The fry go through what is known as a tholichthys stage, wherein the body of the postlarval fish is covered in large bony plates extending from the head. This curious armoured stage is seen in only one other family of fish; the Scatophagidae (scats). The fish lose their bony plates as they mature. Photomontage of plankton organisms Plankton are any drifting organism that inhabits the water column of oceans, seas, and bodies of fresh water. ... Genera The scats are a small family, Scatophagidae, of fishes in the order Perciformes. ...

Gallery

Threadfin Butterflyfish, Kona, Hawaii. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... There is also a town of Kailua on the Island of O‘ahu. ...	Pyramid Butterflyfish, Kona, Hawaii. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... There is also a town of Kailua on the Island of O‘ahu. ...	Four-Eye Butterflyfish, Saba, Netherlands Antilles. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Motto Remis Velisque (Latin) With oars and sails (English) Anthem Saba you rise from the ocean Capital The Bottom Largest city The Bottom Official languages Dutch, English (unofficial) Government See Politics of the Netherlands Antilles  -  Saba Administrator A.J.M. Solagnier  -  Governor of N.A. Frits Goedgedrag Constitutional monarchy part...	Banded Butterflyfish, Long Cay, Belize, Central America. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...
Four-Spot Butterflyfish, Kona, Hawaii. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... There is also a town of Kailua on the Island of O‘ahu. ...	Tinker's Butterflyfish, Kona, Hawaii. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... There is also a town of Kailua on the Island of O‘ahu. ...	Copperband Butterflyfish, Papua New Guinea. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...	Black-Stripe Butterflyfish, Papua New Guinea. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...
Longnose Butterflyfish, Kona, Hawaii. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... There is also a town of Kailua on the Island of O‘ahu. ...	Ornate Butterflyfish, Kona, Hawaii. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... There is also a town of Kailua on the Island of O‘ahu. ...

External links

• http://www.itis.usda.gov/ ITIS Taxonomic Serial No.: 169554
• http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/FamilySummary.cfm?ID=343 FishBase entry on Chaetodontidae