Auriga Butterflyfish

The Auriga Butterflyfish (Chaetodon auriga), also called the threadfin butterflyfish, is one of the most widespread and commonly seen butterflyfish across the Indo-Pacific. Its white body is crossed by two sets of dark diagonal lines that meet at right angles, the rear body and fins are yellow, and a black bar masks the eye. Adults often trail a short filament from the rear dorsal fin, giving the 'threadfin' name, and usually show a small black dorsal eyespot. It is a hardy, adaptable reef omnivore and a common aquarium species.

Recognize the Auriga Butterflyfish by:

• A white body with two sets of dark diagonal lines meeting at right angles (cross-hatch).
• A black bar through the eye and yellow rear body and fins.
• Often a trailing filament and a small black spot on the rear dorsal fin.
• Disc-shaped body, ~18-23 cm.

The right-angle cross-hatch pattern plus the dorsal thread and eyespot are the key cues.

Auriga Butterflyfish inhabit coral reefs, reef flats, lagoons, and rocky areas from the shallows to about 35 m across the tropical Indo-Pacific and central Pacific, from the Red Sea and East Africa to Hawaii. They are habitat generalists found on many reef types, often in pairs or small groups.

Auriga Butterflyfish are diurnal omnivores feeding on coral polyps, small invertebrates, worms, and algae, and their generalist diet contributes to their wide distribution and hardiness. They occur singly, in pairs, or small groups and shelter in the reef at night. Like many butterflyfish they may form pair bonds, spawning by releasing eggs into the water column above the reef.