WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Panda Butterflyfish

Chaetodon adiergastos

Also known as: Bantayan Butterflyfish, Coralfish, Eyepatch Butterflyfish, Philippine Butterflyfish

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2010
Adult
@fishx6 · Navy Pier, Ningaloo Reef, Exmouth, WA, Australia · March 20141 / 4
01

Overview

Found singly, pairs, or in schools, close to soft corals, over shallow protected, estuaries and reefs.
Juveniles found singly over shallow protected estuaries and reefs.

Butterflyfishes have very fine hair like teeth that enable them to pick out small organisms inaccessible to most other fish for eating.
They thrive 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.

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How to identify

Pattern
lines
Head & Mouth
black eye stripe

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

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Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Western Pacific
  • Exact location · 2
  • Country only · 2
LIVES IN

Found singly, pairs, or in schools, close to soft corals, over shallow protected, estuaries and reefs.

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Adult photos 4

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Discussion

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    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

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    Taxonomy

    1. kingdomAnimalia
    2. phylumChordata
    3. classTeleostei
    4. orderAcanthuriformes
    5. familyChaetodontidae
    6. genusChaetodon
    7. speciesChaetodon adiergastos Seale, 1910

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

    06

    More in the family

    Butterflyfishes (Chaetodontidae)