Foureye Butterflyfish
Chaetodon capistratus
Also known as: Butterbun, Coralfish, Four-eyed Butterflyfish, School Mistress
- Butterbun
- Coralfish
- Four-eyed Butterflyfish
- School Mistress
Overview
Found singly or in pairs, over shallow lagoons and seaward reefs, rich in coral growth.
Butterflyfishes have very fine hair like teeth that enable them to pick out small organisms inaccessible to most other fish for eating.
They thrive mainly on a diet of coral polyps, tentacles of featherdusters and Christmas-tree worms. As these food sources all zap back into their shells, 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.
How to identify
Habitat & where to find it
- Range · Western Atlantic, Caribbean
- Exact location · 1
- Country only · 16
Found singly or in pairs, over shallow lagoons and seaward reefs, rich in coral growth.
Adult photos 17
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Deep dive
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