Yellowback Butterflyfish

Found singly or in pairs, around large coral formations, over deep lagoons and seaward reefs, rich in coral growth.

Replaced by
Chaetodon madagaskariensis in the Indian Ocean
Chaetodon paucifasciatus in the Red Sea
Chaetodon xanthurus in the Western Pacific

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.