WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Madagascar Butterflyfish

Chaetodon madagaskariensis

Also known as: Chevron Butterflyfish, Coralfish, Hooded Butterflyfish, Indian Ocean Chevron Butterflyfish, Pearlscale Butterflyfish, Pearly Butterflyfish, Seychelles Butterflyfish

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2010
Adult
@jpc · Helengelis Is., Maldives, Maldives · December 20081 / 4
01

Overview

Found in pairs, over coral and rubble areas of outer reefs, rich in coral growth.

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

Head & Mouth
eye stripe
Behaviour
pairs

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

03

Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Indian Ocean
  • Country only · 4
LIVES IN

Found in pairs, over coral and rubble areas of outer reefs, rich in coral growth.

04

Adult photos 4

06

Discussion

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    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

    Deep dive

    Taxonomy

    1. kingdomAnimalia
    2. phylumChordata
    3. classTeleostei
    4. orderAcanthuriformes
    5. familyChaetodontidae
    6. genusChaetodon
    7. speciesChaetodon madagaskariensis Ahl, 1923

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

    07

    More in the family

    Butterflyfishes (Chaetodontidae)