Black butterflyfish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Black butterflyfish |
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| Conservation status | |
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| Genus: |
Chaetodon
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| Species: |
flavirostris
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The Black Butterflyfish (Chaetodon flavirostris), also known as the dusky butterflyfish, is a type of fish that lives in the ocean. It is a beautiful butterflyfish from the family called Chaetodontidae. You can find this fish mainly in the Pacific Ocean.
Contents
What Does the Black Butterflyfish Look Like?
The Black Butterflyfish has a body that is dark bluish-grey. Its mouth is white, which stands out against its dark body. It also has a thin yellow stripe on its snout. You might notice a darker bump on its forehead.
Fins and Colors
The fins on its back (dorsal fin), belly (anal fin), and tail (caudal fin) are all yellow. There is also an orange stripe that goes across its back and belly fins. This stripe continues onto the part of its body just before the tail. These fins, and the tail itself, have black edges.
Young Fish
Young Black Butterflyfish look a bit different. Their bodies are a lighter grey. Their middle fins are yellow, just like the adults.
Size of the Fish
This fish can grow up to 20 centimetres (7.9 in) long. That's about the length of a regular pencil!
Where Does the Black Butterflyfish Live?
The Black Butterflyfish lives in the southern Pacific Ocean. You can find it in many places, including the Great Barrier Reef and New South Wales in Australia. It also lives near islands like Lord Howe Island, American Samoa, the Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, and Niue.
More Locations
Other places where it lives include Norfolk Island, Pitcairn Island, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu, and Wallis and Futuna. Sometimes, a single fish might travel far, like to Easter Island. This fish is also found in the Indian Ocean, specifically near the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.
What Does the Black Butterflyfish Eat and Where Does It Live?
The Black Butterflyfish likes to live in rocky areas. These areas usually have lots of coral and algae. You can find them in shallow waters, from about 2 to 20 metres (6.6 to 65.6 ft) deep. They live in calm lagoons and on reefs facing the open ocean. Sometimes, they even swim into estuaries, which are where rivers meet the sea.
What They Eat
This fish is an omnivore, which means it eats both plants and animals. Its diet includes algae, coral, and small creatures that live on the seafloor.
Life Cycle and Habits
Black Butterflyfish usually live in pairs. They lay eggs to reproduce. Sometimes, many pairs might gather together in one area. Young Black Butterflyfish prefer to stay in safe, inner reefs where they are protected.
The Black Butterflyfish Family
The Black Butterflyfish was first described in 1874 by a scientist named Albert Günther. It belongs to a larger group of butterflyfish.
Relatives
Some of its close relatives include the diagonal butterflyfish, the raccoon butterflyfish, and the Philippine butterflyfish. The unusual red-tailed butterflyfish might also be a relative. Even though these fish have different colors, they are all fairly large. They also have an oval shape. Most of them have stripes that go upwards on their sides. Many of them also have a dark area around their eyes, like a "raccoon mask," with a white space between their dark head and eye areas.
Can You Keep a Black Butterflyfish as a Pet?
Sometimes, Black Butterflyfish are sold to people who have aquariums. However, this species does not do well in captivity. They often have trouble surviving when they are moved from the ocean to an aquarium.
