Skip to main content
Fish
Least Concern

Masked Butterflyfish

Chaetodon semilarvatus

The blue-cheeked butterflyfish is a marine ray-finned fish of the butterflyfish family, Chaetodontidae, found in the north-western Indian Ocean.

Family

Chaetodontidae

Avg Size

20-23 cm

Habitat

This is a common fish of areas with rich coral growth, usually seen in pairs or small shoals and found at depths between 1 and 20 metres (3.3 and 65.6 ft). It will sometimes hover motionless for long stretches beneath the ledges of plate corals of the genus Acropora.

Behaviour

The blue-cheeked butterflyfish is one of the few fishes to keep long-term mates. In the wild it eats hard corals along with bottom-dwelling invertebrates. It is an egg-laying species that forms pairs to spawn, typically by day, and the fish emerge to become active at night.

Masked Butterflyfish

Where & When to See It

Eel Gardens

occasional
Year Round

The Islands

occasional
Year Round

The Caves

occasional
Year Round

The Canyon

occasional
Year Round

South Ras Abu Galum

occasional
Year Round

Ras Abu Helal

occasional
Year Round

Blue Hole - El Bells

occasional
Year Round

North Gabr El Bint

occasional
Year Round

Lighthouse

occasional
Year Round

Three Pools

occasional
Year Round

North Ras Abu Galum

occasional
Year Round

Napoleon Reef

occasional
Year Round

Moray Garden - Golden Blocks

occasional
Year Round

Thomas Reef

common
Year Round

Aida

common
Year Round

Amphoras

common
Year Round

Big Brother Island

common
Year Round

Bluff Point

common
Year Round

Daedalus Reef

common
Year Round

Dunraven (Beacon Rock)

common
Year Round

Eel Garden

common
Year Round

Far Garden

common
Year Round

Gordon Reef

common
Year Round

Gota Kebir

common
Year Round

Gota Soraya

common
Year Round

Paradise

common
Year Round

Ras Bob

common
Year Round

Ras Burg

common
Year Round

Ras Disha

common
Year Round

Ras Ghamila

common
Year Round

Ras Ghozlani

common
Year Round

Ras Katy

common
Year Round

Ras Nasrani

common
Year Round

Ras Um Sid

common
Year Round

Ras Zaatar

common
Year Round

Rocky Island

common
Year Round

Shaab Claudia

common
Year Round

Shaab Maksur

common
Year Round

Shaab Sataya

common
Year Round

Shag Rock (Kingston)

common
Year Round

Shark & Yolanda Reef

common
Year Round

Shark Observatory

common
Year Round

Shark's Bay

common
Year Round

Small Crack

common
Year Round

Sodfa

common
Year Round

Temple

common
Year Round

The Alternatives

common
Year Round

The Ulysses

common
Year Round

Thistlegorm

common
Year Round

Tower

common
Year Round

Turtle Bay

common
Year Round

Umm Kharalim

common
Year Round

White Knight

common
Year Round

Zabargad Island

common
Year Round

Abu Ghalawa

common
Year Round

Abu Ramada South

common
Year Round

Erg Abu Ramada

common
Year Round

Fiddle Garden

common
Year Round

Gota Abu Ramada

common
Year Round

Pinky Wall

common
Year Round

Rosalie Moller

common
Year Round

Sha'ab Sharm

common
Year Round

SS Turkia

common
Year Round

The Barge at Bluff Point

common
Year Round

Woodhouse Reef

common
Year Round

Habili Gaffar

common
Year Round

Jackfish Alley

common
Year Round

Jackson Reef

common
Year Round

Kormoran

common
Year Round

Laguna Reef

common
Year Round

Little Brother Island

common
Year Round

Middle Garden

common
Year Round

Near Garden

common
Year Round

Numidia

common
Year Round

Habili Ali

abundant
Year Round

Siyul Kebira

abundant
Year Round

Belina Wreck

abundant
Year Round

Small Giftun

abundant
Year Round

Kimon M

abundant
Year Round

Big Giftun

abundant
Year Round

Soma Bay Garden

abundant
Year Round

Giannis D

abundant
Year Round

Erg Sabina

abundant
Year Round

Carnatic

abundant
Year Round

El Erug

abundant
Year Round

Fury Shoals

abundant
Year Round

Elphinstone

abundant
Year Round

Panorama Reef

abundant
Year Round

El Mina Wreck

abundant
Year Round

Erg Somaya

abundant
Year Round

El Fanadir

abundant
Year Round

El Fanous West

abundant
Year Round

Turtle Reef

abundant
Year Round

Chrisoula K

abundant
Year Round

Abu Kifan

abundant
Year Round

Turft El Shahed

abundant
Year Round

Shaab Abu Nugar

abundant
Year Round

Umm Gamar North

abundant
Year Round

Umm Gamar South

abundant
Year Round

Hamda

abundant
Year Round

Salem Express

abundant
Year Round

Sha'ab Samadai (Dolphin House)

abundant
Year Round

Careless Reef

abundant
Year Round

Shaab El Erg

abundant
Year Round

Shaab Eshta

abundant
Year Round

Banana Reef

abundant
Year Round

Shaab Petra

abundant
Year Round

Shaab Sabina

abundant
Year Round

Abu Dabbab

abundant
Year Round

Shabrur Um Gamar

abundant
Year Round

Abu Nuhas

abundant
Year Round

Abu Hashish

abundant
Year Round

Abu Ramada North

abundant
Year Round

Shaab Eissa

abundant
Year Round

More Fish