Teardrop Butterflyfish (Chaetodon unimaculatus)

Also known as Coralfish, Limespot Butterflyfish, Onespot Butterfly, Onespot Butterflyfish, Pacific Teardrop Butterflyfish, Teardrop Coralfish

Description

Also known as Coralfish, Limespot Butterflyfish, Onespot Butterfly, Onespot Butterflyfish, Pacific Teardrop Butterflyfish, Teardrop Coralfish.

Found in pairs and small schools, over reef flats, of clear lagoons and seaward reefs rich in coral growth.
They feed on filamentous algae, hard and soft corals, small crustaceans and christmas-tree worms.
Length - 16cm
Depth - 1-60m
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/5581

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