Masked Butterflyfish (Chaetodon semilarvatus)

Also known as Addis Butterflyfish, Bluecheek Butterflyfish, Blue-cheeked Butterflyfish, Bluemask Butterflyfish, Coralfish, Golden Butterflyfish, Golden-masked Butterflyfish, Golden Semilarvatus Butterflyfish, Red-lined Butterflyfish, Red Sea Butterflyfish, Red Sea Golden Butterflyfish, Semilarvatus Butterfly, Yellow Butterflyfish

Description

Also known as Addis Butterflyfish, Bluecheek Butterflyfish, Blue-cheeked Butterflyfish, Bluemask Butterflyfish, Coralfish, Golden Butterflyfish, Golden-masked Butterflyfish, Golden Semilarvatus Butterflyfish, Red-lined Butterflyfish, Red Sea Butterflyfish, Red Sea Golden Butterflyfish, Semilarvatus Butterfly, Yellow Butterflyfish.

Found in pairs or small schools, hovering close too, or under Acropora Plate corals, in lagoons and seaward reefs, rich in coral growth.
They feed on polyps of hard corals and benthic invertebrates.
Length - 23cm
Depth - 1-20m
Western Indian Ocean - Red Sea to Gulf of Aden

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. (edit) Ref: https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Chaetodon-semilarvatus.html

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