Description

Also known as Coralfish, Indian Butterflyfish, Goldhead Butterflyfish, Gold-headed Butterflyfish, Goldring Butterflyfish, Xanthocephalus Butterflyfish, Yellowhead Butterfly, Yellow-headed Butterflyfish.

Found singly, pairs, or in small schools, around coral heads, over coral reefs, rich in coral growth. Territorial and aggressive to other butterflyfish.
They feed on algae, coral polyps.
Length - 20cm
Depth - 1-30m
Widespread Western Indian Ocean

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-xanthocephalus.html