Skip to content

White-spotted butterflyfish

White-spotted butterflyfish

Appearance and lifestyle:

The white-spotted butterflyfish (Chaetodon multisquamus) is an oval shaped fish that is a pale-yellow colour with small white spots and a black line that runs through its eye. Chaetodon means ‘hair-like teeth’. It is often seen swimming over coral heads in pairs or small groups. Little is known about its breeding behaviour, but it has been known to crossbreed with the teardrop butterflyfish.

Habitat:

Common on coral and rocky reefs in the western Pacific and Indian Oceans.

Diet:

Occurs singly or in groups as it browses the reef for food items such as soft corals, zooplankton, small crabs, worms and seaweed.

Threats:

Pollution, climate change etc.

  • placeholder_image_fish
    Common on coral and rocky reefs in the western Pacific and Indian Oceans
  • placeholder_image_fish
    Feeds on soft corals, zooplankton, small crabs, worms and seaweed
  • placeholder_image_fish
    Grows up to 15cm across
  • placeholder_image_fish
    Also known as a blacklip butterflyfish, brown butterflyfish, Klein's butterflyfish, Klein's coralfish, sunburst butterflyfish or yellowspot butterflyfish