Threadfin butterflyfish

Threadfin butterflyfish ( Chaetodon auriga auriga )

The Threadfin butterflyfish ( Chaetodon auriga ) is a species of the family of butterfly fish.

The Threadfin butterflyfish reaches a length of 18 to 20 centimeters. He lives in 1-10 feet of water in the Red Sea and Indo-Pacific from the coast of East Africa to the Marquesas.

The fish has a high-backed, laterally flattened body. How many butterfly fish typically also has the Threadfin butterflyfish in the rear of the dorsal fin a striking, black eye patch. This eye patch is an adaptation to visually oriented predators. Predators are focused in the pursuit of their prey fish often their eyes and be deceived in regard to the direction of escape. A black stripe camouflage while the eye. The Threadfin butterfly fish from the Red Sea lacking the eyespot. It is described by some scientists as a distinct subspecies Chaetodon auriga auriga. The animals from the Indo-Pacific are then Chaetodon auriga Setifer the subspecies.

Chaetodontidae feed on the polyps of stony and soft corals, polychaetes, algae, small crustaceans and snails.