Pyramid butterflyfish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pyramid butterflyfish |
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The pyramid butterflyfish (Hemitaurichthys polylepis) is a beautiful fish that lives in the ocean. It's a type of butterflyfish, known for its bright colors. These fish are found in the warm waters of the central Indo-Pacific region.
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What Does the Pyramid Butterflyfish Look Like?
This small fish can grow up to about 18 centimeters long. That's roughly the length of a standard pencil!
Its body is flat from side to side, almost like a pancake. It has a rounded shape. Its nose, or snout, sticks out a little bit. It also has a small mouth that can extend outwards to grab food.
This fish has very special colors that make it easy to spot. Its head is covered in a dark brown-yellow color. This color can be lighter or darker on different fish. It stretches from its head down to its front fins, called pelvic fins.
The rest of its body is bright white. This includes its tail base (the caudal peduncle) and its tail fin (the caudal fin). You'll also see bright yellow-orange patches on its upper sides. These patches form a shape like a pyramid, which is how the fish got its name! Its bottom fin, called the anal fin, is also yellow-orange.
Where Do Pyramid Butterflyfish Live?
The pyramid butterflyfish lives in tropical and subtropical waters. You can find them across the central Indo-Pacific region. This area stretches from places like Cocos Keeling and Christmas Island to Polynesia. They are also found from southern Japan down to New-Caledonia.
These fish love to live on the outer slopes of coral reefs. From here, they can swim out into the open ocean to find their food. You can see them at different depths, from about 3 meters down to 60 meters deep.
How Do Pyramid Butterflyfish Live?
Pyramid butterflyfish live in large groups, called schools. They swim together, often out in the open water away from the safety of the reef. They eat tiny living things called plankton. Plankton are very small plants and animals that float in the water.
Is the Pyramid Butterflyfish Safe?
Scientists keep an eye on fish populations. The pyramid butterflyfish eats plankton. This means if there's less plankton because of climate change, it could affect them.
However, right now, there are no big threats to this species. Because of this, the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) lists them as "Least Concern" (LC). This means they are not currently in danger of disappearing.
