Melon Butterflyfish (Chaetodon trifasciatus)

Also known as Coralfish, Indian Ocean Redfin Butterflyfish, Indian Pinstriped Butterflyfish, Indian Redfin Butterflyfish, Lineated Butterflyfish, Pinstriped Butterflyfish, Purple Butterflyfish, Oval Butterflyfish, Rainbow Butterflyfish, Redfin Butterflyfish, Three-banded Butterfly, Three-banded Butterflyfish, Three-banded Coralfish, Three-striped Butterflyfish

Description

Also known as Coralfish, Indian Ocean Redfin Butterflyfish, Indian Pinstriped Butterflyfish, Indian Redfin Butterflyfish, Lineated Butterflyfish, Pinstriped Butterflyfish, Purple Butterflyfish, Oval Butterflyfish, Rainbow Butterflyfish, Redfin Butterflyfish, Three-banded Butterfly, Three-banded Butterflyfish, Three-banded Coralfish, Three-striped Butterflyfish.

Found in pairs, over lagoons and semi-protected seaward reefs, rich in coral growth. Very aggressive to other Butterflyfish!
They feed exclusively on coral polyps, especially Pocillopora.
Length - 15cm
Depth - 0-30m
Widespread Indo-Pacific

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.se/summary/Chaetodon-trifasciatus

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