Pyramid Butterflyfish

Scientific Name: Hemitaurichthys polylepis
Species: Butterflyfishes (Chaetodontidae)
Other names: Coralfishes, Schooling Pyramid Butterflyfish, Pyramid Butterfly, Yellow Pyramid Butterfly, Yellow Pyramid Butterflyfish, Brushy-toothed Butterflyfish, Shy Butterflyfish.

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Pyramid Butterflyfish

Uploaded by: @fishx6 in August 2005
Photographed at: Wakatobi Dive Resort - Indonesia
Caption: No caption available
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Pyramid Butterflyfish

Uploaded by: @fishx6 in August 2005
Photographed at: Wakatobi Dive Resort - Indonesia
Caption: No caption available
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Pyramid Butterflyfish

Uploaded by: @KitBrennan in July 2009
Photographed at: Fairy Grotto - Great Barrier Reef - Australia
Caption: No caption available
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Description

Also known as Coralfishes, Schooling Pyramid Butterflyfish, Pyramid Butterfly, Yellow Pyramid Butterfly, Yellow Pyramid Butterflyfish, Brushy-toothed Butterflyfish and Shy Butterflyfish.

Found in large schools sometimes containing hundreds! Along current swept drop-off's in coastal and outer reefs often high in the water column feeding.
They feed on coral polyps, tentacles of featherdusters and Christmas-tree worms.
Length - 18cm
Depth - 3-60m
Widespread Indo-Pacific

Butterflyfish and angelfish are members of the bristletooth family (Chaetodontidae) they have very fine hairlike teeth that enable them to pick out small organisms inaccessible to most other fish for eating.
Butterflyfishes thrive on a diet of coral polyps, tentacles of featherdusters and Christmas-tree worms. As these food sources all zap back into their shells the butterflyfishes need to be able to hover motionless while picking at the coral and to dart swiftly over short distances to get the worm before it retracts. They do this by using their Pectoral fins as oars to brake, sprint, turn and even reverse.