Fourspot Butterflyfish (Chaetodon quadrimaculatus)

Also known as Coralfish, Fourspot Butterfly, Four-spotted Butterflyfish, Fourspot Quad, Fourspot Quad Butterfly, Fourspot Quad Butterflyfish, Neon-banded Butterflyfish

Description

Also known as Coralfish, Fourspot Butterfly, Four-spotted Butterflyfish, Fourspot Quad, Fourspot Quad Butterfly, Fourspot Quad Butterflyfish, Neon-banded Butterflyfish.

Found singly or in pairs, around Pocillopora corals, on exposed rocky seaward reefs rich in coral growth.
They feed on Pocillopora coral polyps.
Length - 16cm
Depth - 2-40m
Widespread Pacific Ocean

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. Ref: https://www.fishbase.in/summary/5572

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