Butterflyfish

126 species

Butterflyfish are a captivating and colorful addition to any saltwater aquarium. Known for their striking patterns and vibrant colors, these fish are often the centerpiece of a reef tank. Butterflyfish belong to the family Chaetodontidae and are closely related to angelfish. They are primarily found in the tropical reefs of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans.

One of the most distinctive features of butterflyfish is their elongated snouts, which they use to feed on small invertebrates, coral polyps, and algae. This diet can make them a bit challenging to care for, as they may nibble on corals and other invertebrates in a reef tank. Therefore, they are best suited for fish-only or carefully planned reef aquariums.

Butterflyfish are generally peaceful but can be territorial, especially towards other butterflyfish. It's crucial to provide plenty of hiding spots and swimming space in the aquarium to minimize aggression. They thrive in well-established tanks with stable water parameters, and it's essential to maintain high water quality to keep them healthy.

Some popular species among hobbyists include the Chelmon rostratus, the Forcipiger flavissimus, and the Chaetodon lunula. Each species has its own unique requirements and compatibility considerations, so it's important to research individual species before adding them to your tank.

  1. Lord Howe Island Butterflyfish
    Common name: Lord Howe Island butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Amphichaetodon howensis
  2. Common name: Narrow-barred butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Amphichaetodon melbae
  3. Philippine butterflyfish, Chaetodon adiergastos
    Common name: Philippine butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon adiergastos
  4. Pair of copperband butterflyfish or chelmon rostratus fish with long nose in sea. Marine life. Beautiful colorful yellow striped fish swimming among tropical corals. Sea wildlife. Underwater video.
    Common name: Andaman Butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon andamanensis
  5. Copperband Butterflyfish
    Common name: Asian butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon argentatus
  6. Common name: West Australian butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon assarius
  7. Golden Butterflyfish
    Common name: Golden butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon aureofasciatus
  8. Coral fish - Threadfin butterflyfish (chaetodon auriga) - Red Sea
    Common name: threadfin butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon auriga
  9. Oriental butterflyfish (Chaetodon auripes) in Japan
    Common name: Golden butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon auripes
  10. Coral fish Exquisite butterflyfish (Chaetodon austriacus) - Red Sea
    Common name: Red Sea melon butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon austriacus
  11. Eastern triangle butterflyfish, Chaetodon baronessa, Sulawesi Indonesia.
    Common name: Eastern triangular butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon baronessa
  12. The bluelashed butterflyfish, Chaetodon bennetti
    Common name: Bluelashed butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon bennetti
  13. Common name: Blackburn's butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon blackburnii
  14. The Burgess' Butterflyfish (Chaetodon burgessi).
    Common name: Burgess' butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon burgessi
  15. foureye butterflyfish ,Chaetodon capistratus
    Common name: Four-eyed butteflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon capistratus
  16. corals and fish
    Common name: speckled butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon citrinellus
  17. Head-band Butterflyfish (chaetodon collare) in Maldives
    Common name: Redtail butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon collare
  18. 水中を泳ぐユウゼン
    Common name: Wrought iron butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon daedalma
  19. Declivis Butterflyfish..(Chaetodon declivis) marine fish from Lines Islands, Central Pacific
    Common name: Marquesas butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon declivis
  20. indian vagabond butterflyfish
    Common name: Indian vagabond butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon decussatus
  21. Kaiserfisch
    Common name: Oman butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon dialeucos
  22. Bluecheek butterflyfish (Chaetodon semilarvatus), To Hal Hal Hal Reef, Safaga, Red Sea, Egypt, Africa
    Common name: African butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon dolosus
  23. ButterflyFishes
    Common name: Saddle butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon ephippium
  24. tropical fish Chaetodon falcula
    Common name: Blackwedged butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon falcula
  25. Coral fish Diagonal butterflyfish
    Common name: Red Sea racoon butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon fasciatus
  26. The Black Butterflyfish, the dusky butterflyfish (Chaetodon flavirostris).
    Common name: Yellowsnout butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon flavirostris
  27. Common name: Yellow-crowned butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon flavocoronatus
  28. Common name: Blue-lined butterfly
    Scientific name: Chaetodon fremblii
  29. Common name: Gardner's butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon gardineri
  30. Gunther's Butterflyfish Chaetodon guentheri
    Common name: Crochet butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon guentheri
  31. Danny Van Belle
    Common name: Peppered butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon guttatissimus
  32. Common name: Four-banded butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon hoefleri
  33. Threebanded Butterflyfish
    Common name: Threebanded butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon humeralis
  34. Closeup of a sunburst butterflyfish (Chaetodon kleinii) swimming in an aquarium
    Common name: Sunburst butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon kleinii
  35. Hooded butterflyfish
    Common name: Hooded butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon larvatus
  36. Common name: Somali butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon leucopleura
  37. The lined butterflyfish - (Chaetodon lineolatus)
    Common name: lined butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon lineolatus
  38. Common name: White-tip butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon litus
  39. Raccoon Butterflyfish (Chaetodon lunula). Red Sea underwater life of the artificial reef reef near Makadi Bay, Egypt
    Common name: Raccoon butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon lunula
  40. Fish oval butterflyfish Chaetodon lunulatus
    Common name: Oval butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon lunulatus
  41. Butterfly fish, Chaetodon madagaskariensis, Flores Indonesia
    Common name: Seychelles butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon madagaskariensis
  42. Common name: Doubledash butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon marleyi
  43. Blackbacked butterflyfish
    Common name: Blackback butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon melannotus
  44. exquisite butterflyfish (chaetodon melapterus)
    Common name: Arabian butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon melapterus
  45. ベニオチョウチョウウオ
    Common name: Atoll butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon mertensii
  46. Coral fish - Tropical fish - Whiteface butterflyfish (Chaetodon  mesoleucos ) in Red sea
    Common name: paleface butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon mesoleucos
  47. Meyer’s butterflyfish (Chaetodon meyeri in Latin). Other names: Maypole Butterflyfish and the Scrawled Butterflyfish.
    Common name: Meyer's butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon meyeri
  48. Millet Butterflyfish on Coral Reef
    Common name: Crochet butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon miliaris
  49. Mitratus Butterflyfish as known as Black and Yellow Butterflyfish or Indian Butterflyfish (Chaetodon mitratus) origin from Maldives
    Common name: Indian butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon mitratus
  50. Brownbanded butterflyfish (Chaetodon modestus) in Japan
    Common name: Golden butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon modestus
  51. Pebbled Butterflyfish
    Common name: Pebbled butterfly
    Scientific name: Chaetodon multicinctus
  52. Common name: Black-spotted butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon nigropunctatus
  53. Wrought Iron Butterflyfish
    Common name: Japanese butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon nippon
  54. Spotfin Butterflyfish, Chaetodon ocellatus
    Common name: Butterbun
    Scientific name: Chaetodon ocellatus
  55. The Spot-tailed Butterflyfish, Chaetodon ocellicaudus
    Common name: Spottail butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon ocellicaudus
  56. Falterfisch am Korallenriff
    Common name: Eightband butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon octofasciatus
  57. Chaetodon ornatissimus / Poisson papillon orné
    Common name: Ornate butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon ornatissimus
  58. Common name: Spot-nape butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon oxycephalus
  59. Crown Butterflyfish in Red Sea
    Common name: Eritrean butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon paucifasciatus
  60. Large Jellyfish (Rhizostoma) floating in a blue, tropical ocean at sunset
    Common name: Sunset butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon pelewensis
  61. Chaetodon plebeius, commonly known as the blueblotch butterflyfish
    Common name: Blueblotch butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon plebeius
  62. Spotband butterflyfish
    Common name: Spotband butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon punctatofasciatus
  63. Fourspot Butterflyfish (Chaetodon quadrimaculatus)
    Common name: Four-spot butterfly
    Scientific name: Chaetodon quadrimaculatus
  64. Latticed butterflyfish.(Chaetodon rafflesii).
    Common name: latticed butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon rafflesii
  65. Common name: Rainford's butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon rainfordi
  66. Reticulated Butterflyfish Chaetodon reticulatus
    Common name: Black butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon reticulatus
  67. Common name: Three-banded butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon robustus
  68. Common name: St. Helena butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon sanctaehelenae
  69. Close-up of a Reef Butterflyfish on tropical coral reef
    Common name: reef butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon sedentarius
  70. Yellow-dotted butterflyfish
    Common name: Yellowdotted butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon selene
  71. Shoal of Pennant coralfish (Heniochus acuminatus, longfin bannerfish) on a background of blue water in tropical sea
    Common name: Golden butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon semeion
  72. Colourful tropical fish
    Common name: Golden butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon semilarvatus
  73. Common name: Half-yellow butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon smithi
  74. Mirror butterflyfish, Chaetodon speculum, in front of black sun coral, Tubastraea micrantha, Komodo Island, Indonesia, Indo-Pacific.
    Common name: Mirror butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon speculum
  75.  banded butterflyfish,Chaetodon striatus
    Common name: Butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon striatus
  76. Tinkers Butterflyfish
    Common name: Hawaiian butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon tinkeri
  77. A group of butterfly fish (chaetodon octofasciatus, chaetodon triangulum, Heniochus varius and damsel fish (Abudefduf curacao) with coral reef as a background.
    Common name: Triangle butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon triangulum
  78. Tahitian Butterflyfish (Chaetodon trichrous) in black background
    Common name: Tahitian butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon trichrous
  79. Common name: Three-striped butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon tricinctus
  80. A view of a colorful Chevron butterflyfish (Chaetodon trifascialis) swimming in the corals
    Common name: Chevron butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon trifascialis
  81. chaetodon trifasciatus
    Common name: Melon butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon trifasciatus
  82. Pacific double-saddle butterflyfish Chaetodon ulietensis - tropical fish
    Common name: Pacific double-saddle butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon ulietensis
  83. Colorful Yellow Butterfly fish
    Common name: Teardrop butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon unimaculatus
  84. 海を泳ぐフウライチョウチョウオ(Chaetodon vagabundus)
    Common name: Vagabond butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon vagabundus
  85. Weavers Butterflyfish - Chaetodon wiebeli
    Common name: Hongkong butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon wiebeli
  86. yellowhead butterflyfish
    Common name: Goldheaded butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon xanthocephalus
  87. Pearlscale butterflyfish (Chaetodon xanthurus)
    Common name: Pearlscale butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon xanthurus
  88. Tropical fish Zanzibar Butterflyfish  (Chaetodon zanzibarensis) swimming over the stony coral reef with blue water
    Common name: Zanzibar butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chaetodon zanzibarensis
  89. Longnose Butterfly - 3 Stripe
Chelmon marginalis
    Common name: Margined coralfish
    Scientific name: Chelmon marginalis
  90. Common name: Blackfin coralfish
    Scientific name: Chelmon muelleri
  91. Copperband butterfly fish - Chelmon Rostratus
    Common name: Copperband butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Chelmon rostratus
  92. Common name: Western talma
    Scientific name: Chelmonops curiosus
  93. Eastern talma,  truncate coralfish  (Chelmonops truncatus ).
    Common name: coralfish
    Scientific name: Chelmonops truncatus
  94. Reef fish Coradion altivelis
    Common name: highfin coralfish
    Scientific name: Coradion altivelis
  95. Golden girdled coralfish (Coradion chrysozonus) from Great Barrier reef
    Common name: Goldengirdled coralfish
    Scientific name: Coradion chrysozonus
  96. Twospot coralfish, Coradion melanopus
    Common name: Twospot coralfish
    Scientific name: Coradion melanopus
  97. Yellow Longnose Butterflyfish Forcipiger flavissimus.
    Common name: Longnose butterfly fish
    Scientific name: Forcipiger flavissimus
  98. Forcipiger longirostris, commonly known as the longnose butterflyfish or big longnose butterflyfish
    Common name: Longnose butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Forcipiger longirostris
  99. Common name: Many-spined butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Hemitaurichthys multispinosus
  100. Pyramid butterflyfish (Hemitaurichthys polylepis).
    Common name: Pyramid butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Hemitaurichthys polylepis
  101. Common name: Thompson's butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Hemitaurichthys thompsoni
  102. Beautiful brown and white fish swimming in the aquarium, Hemitaurichthys zoster butterflyfish (black pyramid butterflyfish). Tropical fish on the background of aquatic coral reef in oceanarium pool
    Common name: Black pyramid butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Hemitaurichthys zoster
  103. Pennant coralfish (Heniochus acuminatus).
    Common name: Longfin bannerfish
    Scientific name: Heniochus acuminatus
  104. Pennant bannerfish Heniochus chrysostomus
    Common name: Pennant bannerfish
    Scientific name: Heniochus chrysostomus
  105. Butterfly fish. Schooling kabouba - Scholing bannerfish - Heniochus diphreutes (family Chaetodontidae) - grows up to 18 cm. Representatives of this genus of the bristle-toothed family have an elongate
    Common name: Schooling bannerfish
    Scientific name: Heniochus diphreutes
  106. Red sea bannerfish (heniochus intermedius)
    Common name: Red Sea bannerfish
    Scientific name: Heniochus intermedius
  107. Masked bannerfish (Heniochus monoceros)
    Common name: Masked bannerfish
    Scientific name: Heniochus monoceros
  108. Phantom Bannerfish (Heniochus pleurotaenia)
    Common name: Phantom bannerfish
    Scientific name: Heniochus pleurotaenia
  109. Singular bannerfish (Heniochus singularius) is black, white and yellow big butterflyfish in Palau, Pacific
    Common name: Singular bannerfish
    Scientific name: Heniochus singularius
  110. Horned bannerfish
    Common name: Humphead bannerfish
    Scientific name: Heniochus varius
  111. butterfly-fish
    Common name: Sixspine butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Parachaetodon ocellatus
  112. Caribbean Longsnout Butterflyfish (Prognathodes aculeatus), Cozumel, Mexico
    Common name: Caribbean Longsnout Butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Prognathodes aculeatus
  113. Common name: Bank Butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Prognathodes aya
  114. Common name: Orangemargin Butteflyfish
    Scientific name: Prognathodes basabei
  115. Common name: Brazilian Butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Prognathodes brasiliensis
  116. Common name: Southern Scythe Butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Prognathodes carlhubbsi
  117. Common name: Bicolor Butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Prognathodes dichrous
  118. Common name: Northern Scythe Butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Prognathodes falcifer
  119. Common name: Gueze's Butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Prognathodes guezei
  120. Common name: French Butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Prognathodes guyanensis