Description

Also known as Assarius Butterflyfish, Coralfish, Western Australian Butterflyfish, Western Butterflyfish.

Found singly or in schools, over rock and sandy-weed flats of coastal reefs.
They feed on algae and zooplankton.
Length - 13cm
Depth - 0-40m
Eastern Indian Ocean - Western Australia

Has been known to stray to other areas, such as Indonesia, possibly in ships ballast - see our blogs!
http://www.whatsthatfish.com/blog/right-fish-wrong-place
http://www.whatsthatfish.com/blog/lionfish-in-the-caribbean

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/6516