Description

Also known as Coralfish, Eyespot Butterflyfish, Eyespot Coralfish, False Batfish, Four-banded Butterflyfish, Kite Butterflyfish, Kite Coralfish, Ocellate Butteflyfish, Ocellated Butterflyfish, Ocellated Coral, Ocellated Coralfish, Sixspine Butterflyfish, Sixspine Coralfish, Six-spined Butterflyfish, Six-spined Coralfish, Spotfin Butterflyfish, Spotfin Coralfish.

Found singly, pairs and in large schools over flat sand silty bottoms of coastal reefs.
They feed on benthic algae, invertebrates and weeds.
Juveniles found in seagrass beds and large lagoons.
Ocellated spot seems to disappear with age.
Length - 18cm
Depth - 5-40m
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.in/summary/Parachaetodon-ocellatus