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Butterflyfish

Fish · Least Concern

Butterflyfish

Chaetodon austriacus

About

The blacktail butterflyfish, also called the black-tailed or exquisite butterflyfish, is a ray-finned fish of the butterflyfish family Chaetodontidae. Native to the western Indian Ocean, it has since reached the Mediterranean as a Lessepsian migrant by way of the Suez Canal.

Family
Chaetodontidae
Avg size
12-14 cm
Habitat
The species is native to the Red Sea and southern Oman. A single individual was recorded near Tel Aviv, Israel, in 2011, most likely a migrant from the Red Sea.
Behaviour
Blacktail butterflyfish tend to favour coral-rich areas between about 0.5 and 20 m deep, on seaward reefs or in lagoons and bays. Adults usually move in pairs, patrolling a territory or range, while juveniles shelter among coral branches. The species grazes on coral polyps and the tentacles of sea anemones.

Where & when

Where & When to See It

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