The butterflyfish are a group of conspicuous tropical marine fish of the family Chaetodontidae the bannerfish and coralfish are also included in this group. The approximately 129 species in 12 genera are found mostly on the reefs of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. A number of species pairs occur in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, members of the huge genus Chaetodon. Butterflyfish look like smaller versions of angelfish (Pomacanthidae), but unlike these, lack preopercle spines at the gill covers. Some members of the genus Heniochus resemble the Moorish idol (Zanclus cornutus) of the monotypic Zanclidae. Among the paraphyletic Perciformes, the former are probably not too distantly related to butterflyfish, whereas the Zanclidae seem far less close. Learn more about Butterflyfish
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Butterflyfish Species Videos
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Common Name | Scientific Name | Conservation Status |
Banded Butterflyfish (9 videos) | Chaetodon striatus | Least concern |
Batfish (560 videos) | Dibranchus nasutus | Not Available |
Black Butterflyfish (2 videos) | Chaetodon flavirostris | Least concern |
Blackback (15 videos) | Pseudopleuronectes americanus | Not Available |
Blackbacked Butterflyfish (9 videos) | Chaetodon melannotus | Least concern |
Blacknosed Butterflyfish (53 videos) | Johnrandallia nigrirostris | Least concern |
Blacktail Butterflyfish (1 videos) | Chaetodon austriacus | Least concern |
Blackwedged Butterflyfish (5 videos) | Chaetodon falcula | Least concern |
Blueblotch Butterflyfish (5 videos) | Chaetodon plebeius | Least concern |
Bluecheek Butterflyfish (22 videos) | Chaetodon semilarvatus | Least concern |
Bluelashed Butterflyfish (4 videos) | Chaetodon bennetti | Data deficient |
Bluestriped Butterflyfish (2 videos) | Chaetodon fremblii | Least concern |
Brown-and-white Butterflyfish (15 videos) | Hemitaurichthys zoster | Least concern |
Chevron Butterflyfish (2 videos) | Chaetodon trifascialis | Near threatened |
Copperband Butterflyfish (6 videos) | Chelmon rostratus | Least concern |
Diagonal Butterflyfish (35 videos) | Chaetodon fasciatus | Least concern |
Dotted Butterflyfish (8 videos) | Chaetodon semeion | Least concern |
Dusky Batfish (44 videos) | Platax pinnatus | Not Available |
Easter Island Butterflyfish (1 videos) | Chaetodon litus | Not Available |
Eastern Triangular Butterflyfish (1 videos) | Chaetodon baronessa | Least concern |
Eightband Butterflyfish (1 videos) | Chaetodon octofasciatus | Least concern |
Foureye Butterflyfish (4 videos) | Chaetodon capistratus | Least concern |
Fourspot Butterflyfish (8 videos) | Chaetodon quadrimaculatus | Least concern |
Galapagos Batfish (9 videos) | Ogcocephalus darwini | Not Available |
Goldengirdled Coralfish (1 videos) | Coradion chrysozonus | Least concern |
Hawaiian Butterflyfish (10 videos) | Chaetodon tinkeri | Least concern |
Highfin Coralfish (1 videos) | Coradion altivelis | Least concern |
Humpback Batfish (9 videos) | Platax batavianus | Not Available |
Indian Vagabond Butterflyfish (8 videos) | Chaetodon decussatus | Least concern |
Latticed Butterflyfish (8 videos) | Chaetodon rafflesii | Least concern |
Lined Butterflyfish (23 videos) | Chaetodon lineolatus | Least concern |
Longfin Batfish (216 videos) | Platax teira | Not Available |
Longnose Butterflyfish (37 videos) | Forcipiger longirostris | Least concern |
Mailed Butterflyfish (3 videos) | Chaetodon reticulatus | Data deficient |
Margined Coralfish (1 videos) | Chelmon marginalis | Least concern |
Melon Butterflyfish (10 videos) | Chaetodon trifasciatus | Least concern |
Millet Butterflyfish (8 videos) | Chaetodon miliaris | Least concern |
Ninespine Batfish (1 videos) | Zabidius novemaculeatus | Not Available |
Old Wife (2 videos) | Enoplosus armatus | Not Available |
Orbicular Batfish (52 videos) | Platax orbicularis | Not Available |
Oriental Butterflyfish (3 videos) | Chaetodon auripes | Not Available |
Ornate Butterflyfish (29 videos) | Chaetodon ornatissimus | Least concern |
Oval Butterflyfish (6 videos) | Chaetodon lunulatus | Least concern |
Pacific Double-saddle Butterflyfish (12 videos) | Chaetodon ulietensis | Least concern |
Pennant Coralfish (76 videos) | Heniochus acuminatus | Least concern |
Philippine Butterflyfish (17 videos) | Chaetodon adiergastos | Least concern |
Pyramid Butterflyfish (88 videos) | Hemitaurichthys polylepis | Least concern |
Raccoon Butterflyfish (49 videos) | Chaetodon lunula | Least concern |
Redtail Butterflyfish (24 videos) | Chaetodon collare | Least concern |
Reef Butterflyfish (6 videos) | Chaetodon sedentarius | Least concern |
Roughback Batfish (5 videos) | Ogcocephalus parvus | Not Available |
Saddle Butterflyfish (31 videos) | Chaetodon ephippium | Least concern |
Scrawled Butterflyfish (5 videos) | Chaetodon meyeri | Least concern |
Shortnose Batfish (3 videos) | Ogcocephalus nasutus | Not Available |
Speckled Butterflyfish (5 videos) | Chaetodon citrinellus | Least concern |
Spot-nape Butterflyfish (9 videos) | Chaetodon oxycephalus | Least concern |
Spotband Butterflyfish (1 videos) | Chaetodon punctatofasciatus | Least concern |
Spotfin Butterflyfish (4 videos) | Chaetodon ocellatus | Least concern |
Sunburst Butterflyfish (16 videos) | Chaetodon kleinii | Least concern |
Teardrop Butterflyfish (15 videos) | Chaetodon unimaculatus | Least concern |
Thompson's Butterflyfish (2 videos) | Hemitaurichthys thompsoni | Not Available |
Threadfin Butterflyfish (26 videos) | Chaetodon auriga | Least concern |
Triangle Butterflyfish (9 videos) | Chaetodon triangulum | Least concern |
Twospot Coralfish (1 videos) | Coradion melanopus | Least concern |
Vagabond Butterflyfish (11 videos) | Chaetodon vagabundus | Least concern |
Yellow Longnose Butterflyfish (8 videos) | Forcipiger flavissimus | Least concern |
Yellow Teardrop Butterflyfish (3 videos) | Chaetodon interruptus | Least concern |
Yellow-dotted Butterflyfish (6 videos) | Chaetodon selene | Least concern |
Zanzibar Butterflyfish (4 videos) | Chaetodon zanzibarensis | Least concern |