Exquisite butterflyfish

Chaetodon austriacus

Occurring in

Indian Ocean
Red Sea

0.5-20m

DayActive

not endangered

All butterflyfish are perfectly adapted to life in coral reefs: With their tall, laterally flattened body, they can cleverly maneuver through the narrow coral forests. This colleague of butterflyfish also stands out with its bright yellow base color. However, its tail and anal fins are pitch black.

Habitat

Coral reef

Special features

All butterflyfish are perfectly adapted to life in coral reefs: With their tall, laterally flattened body, they can cleverly maneuver through the narrow coral forests.

Appearance

This colleague of butterflyfish also stands out with its bright yellow base color. However, its tail and anal fins are pitch black. His head is decorated with black, vertical stripes, one of which is used to camouflage his eye to confuse predators. The rest of his body is decorated with black horizontal stripes, above which is his pale yellow to white dorsal fin. Some specimens have additional subtle light blue stripes along the dorsal fin and are therefore particularly attractive to look at.

Natural enemies

Predatory fish

Dangerous/Venomous

The Red Sea rib moth is neither dangerous nor venomous.

Sketch

Chaetodon austriacus_divedict_red_sea_rotes_meer_bio_lexicon_unterwasserwelt_tauchen_scuba_lexicon

1. Black spot

2. Black stripes

Pro tips

The best chances of meeting this rascal are in lagoons, bays, and outer reefs, where dense coral forests thrive.
There he and his partner, with whom he spends his life, have their own territory, which they vehemently defend when necessary.
It eats coral polyps and anemone tentacles.

redsea_rib-butterfish-chaetodon-Austriacus_divedict_diving_diving_bio_lexicon_lexicon

Text: Carolina Leiter

Pic: Felician Hosp

Illustration: Dive Dict