Butterflyfish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Butterflyfish |
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| The raccoon butterflyfish (Chaetodon lunula) | |
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Chaetodontidae
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Butterflyfish are a group of brightly colored tropical fish that live in the ocean. They belong to a family called Chaetodontidae. Other fish like bannerfish and coralfish are also part of this group. You can find them mostly on coral reefs in the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean. There are about 120 different kinds, or species, of butterflyfish.
Contents
About Butterflyfish
What Do They Look Like?
Most butterflyfish are about 12 to 22 centimeters (5 to 9 inches) long. The biggest ones, like the lined butterflyfish and the saddle butterflyfish, can grow up to 30 centimeters (12 inches). Many butterflyfish have very bright colors and cool patterns. They can be black, white, blue, red, orange, and yellow. Some even have a dark band across their eyes and a spot on their side that looks like an eye. This helps them hide from predators, just like the patterns on a real butterfly's wings!
Their bodies are tall and flat, which makes them easy to spot among the busy reef life. Their bright colors might also help them talk to other fish. Butterflyfish have one long fin on their back and their tail fins can be round or flat, but they are never forked.
Where Do They Live and What Do They Eat?
Butterflyfish are usually active during the day. They like to stay in waters that are less than 18 meters (about 60 feet) deep, but some kinds can go as deep as 180 meters (about 590 feet). They often stick to a certain area of the reef.
Some butterflyfish are very protective of their homes. They live in pairs and claim a specific coral head as their territory. These fish mainly eat coral polyps and sea anemones. Other types of butterflyfish eat tiny floating creatures called plankton. These plankton-eaters often swim together in large groups. At night, butterflyfish hide in cracks in the reef and their colors can change to help them blend in.
How Do They Have Babies?
Butterflyfish lay many eggs that float in the ocean currents. These eggs are part of the plankton until they hatch. When the baby fish hatch, they go through a special stage called the tholichthys stage. During this time, their bodies are covered in large, bony plates that stick out from their heads. As they grow bigger, they lose these bony plates. Only one other family of fish, called scats, has this kind of armored baby stage.
Butterflyfish as Pets
Because of their amazing colors, butterflyfish are popular fish for home aquariums. However, many species eat coral polyps and sea anemones. This makes them hard to keep in a tank because it's tricky to make sure they have enough of their natural food. So, most people who keep butterflyfish as pets choose the kinds that eat plankton or a wider variety of foods.
Images for kids
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Copperband butterflyfish, Chelmon rostratus
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The enigmatic Johnrandallia nigrirostris
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Sunburst butterflyfish, (sometimes placed in Lepidochaetodon)
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Bluelashed butterflyfish, Chaetodon bennetti (sometimes placed in Megaprotodon)
See also
In Spanish: Peces mariposa para niños
