Description

Also known as Auriga Butterfly, Auriga Butterflyfish, Coralfish, Cross-stripe Butterfly, Diagonal Butterflyfish, Threadfin Butterfly, Threadfin Coralfish, Whip Butterflyfish, Yellow Butterflyfish.

Found singly, pairs, or in schools, roaming over rubble and weedy areas of reefs, rich in coral growth.
They feed on algae, anemones, coral polyps, and Christmas-tree worms.
Length - 23cm
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/5557