Freshwater Butterflyfish Identification Guide

Key identification features

• Strongly flattened, almost table-flat dorsal profile when viewed from above
• Oversized, fan-like pectoral fins that reach back nearly to the tail, used for gliding leaps above the surface
• Upturned, wide mouth positioned for feeding at the surface film
• Mottled brown, gray, and tan blotched pattern that breaks up its outline among floating debris
• Small, forked pelvic fins with long trailing rays that look like extra tails
• Compact size, rarely exceeding about 12 cm in length
• Eyes set high on the head, angled to watch for prey above the water

Common look-alikes

• Marbled hatchetfish has a deep, laterally compressed body and keeled belly, unlike the butterflyfish's flat, broad top profile.
• Splash tetra lacks the huge wing-like pectoral fins and has a slimmer, more typical tetra body shape.

Where you'll see one

This species is found in slow, still, densely vegetated waters of West and Central Africa, including the Niger Delta and Congo Basin, where it hangs motionless just under floating plants at the surface, ready to ambush insects.