Max Size: 22 cm (8.7 in.)
Habitat: Shallow waters around reefs from Massachusetts to S. America
Diet: Invertebrates such as polychaete worms, corals, and tunicates
Other Species:
Four-Eye Butterflyfish (Chaetodon capistratus)
Spotfin Butterflyfish (Chaetodon ocellatus)
Fun Facts:
- Family and genus name means “hair-tooth” on account of their bristle-like teeth that allow them to graze on sedentary invertebrates
- Most species have a posterior eye-spot; this can help trick predators into attacking the tail, giving the fish a better chance of surviving the attack
- While not common in NY/NJ Harbor they are sometimes brought up by storms or currents, making them tropical marine strays. They do not do well in the brackish water
