Ornate Butterflyfish

The Ornate Butterflyfish (Chaetodon ornatissimus) is a beautifully patterned Indo-Pacific butterflyfish, its white body crossed by several diagonal orange stripes and its face marked with black bands and yellow accents. It is an obligate corallivore, feeding almost entirely on coral polyps, which ties it closely to healthy, coral-rich reefs. Usually seen in pairs, it is a conspicuous and elegant reef fish. Its strict coral diet makes it a difficult aquarium subject, so it is best appreciated on the reef.

Recognize the Ornate Butterflyfish by:

• A white body with several diagonal orange stripes.
• Black bands across the face and around the eye, with yellow accents.
• Yellow-edged fins and snout.
• Disc-shaped body, ~18-20 cm.

The diagonal orange striping over white, with a boldly banded face, is distinctive among butterflyfish.

Ornate Butterflyfish inhabit coral-rich reefs, especially on clear-water slopes and reef fronts, from the shallows to about 40 m across the tropical Indo-Pacific and central Pacific. Their reliance on live coral means they are found where coral cover is healthy, usually in pairs patrolling a home range.

Ornate Butterflyfish are diurnal obligate corallivores, feeding almost exclusively on the polyps of hard and soft corals. They are typically seen in pairs that patrol and defend a feeding territory and are believed to form long-term pair bonds. At night they shelter in the reef. Pairs spawn by releasing eggs into the water column above the reef.