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Marine fish

Pearly butterflyfish

Pearly butterflyfish

Appearance:

Pearly butterflyfish have very distinct colouration - silver-white bodies, yellow hindquarters and black chevron stripes pointing towards their heads. They can grow up to 15cm long.

Habitat:

They inhabit sea-facing reefs in the Indo-Pacific region.

Diet:

They hunt small invertebrates and scavenge scraps of seaweed.

Threats:

The IUCN status is Least Concern.

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    This carnivore feeds on coral polyps, phytoplankton, polychaete worms and cnidaria species
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    Interestingly, the scientific name for this beauty is Chaetodon madagaskariensis, with a “k” and not a “c”. The strange spelling comes from the fact that the species was first described in a German publication.
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    Also known as Seychelle’s butterflyfish, Madagascar butterflyfish, chevron butterflyfish or pearscale butterflyfish.
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    Widespread in the Indian Ocean – East Africa to Sri Lanka.
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    Grows up to 15cm across