WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Fourspot Butterflyfish

Chaetodon quadrimaculatus

Also known as: Coralfish, Fourspot Butterfly, Four-spotted Butterflyfish, Fourspot Quad, Fourspot Quad Butterfly, Fourspot Quad Butterflyfish, Neon-banded Butterflyfish

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2010
Adult
@fishx6 · Hawaiian Islands, United States · June 20161 / 6
01

Overview

Found singly or in pairs, around Pocillopora corals, on exposed rocky seaward reefs rich in coral growth.
They feed on Pocillopora coral polyps.

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.

02

How to identify

Behaviour
pairssolitary

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

03

Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Pacific Ocean
  • Dive site · 5
  • Country only · 1
LIVES IN

Found singly or in pairs, around Pocillopora corals, on exposed rocky seaward reefs rich in coral growth.

04

Adult photos 6

05

Discussion

Comments are checked by a moderator before they appear.

No comments yet. Seen one, or got a question about it? Start the discussion.

    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

    Deep dive

    Taxonomy

    1. kingdomAnimalia
    2. phylumChordata
    3. classTeleostei
    4. orderAcanthuriformes
    5. familyChaetodontidae
    6. genusChaetodon
    7. speciesChaetodon quadrimaculatus Gray, 1831

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

    06

    More in the family

    Butterflyfishes (Chaetodontidae)