Phalguni Ranjan
( Chaetodon andamanensis )
They are found on coral reefs close to the shoreline or on the outer slopes at depths between 1-10m.
Usually found in pairs or in small groups, the Andaman butterfly fish named so because of them being a common find there. They are bright yellow in colour and have a black band that runs from the top of their head, through their eyes and a black spot at the point where their tail joins the rest of their body. They can reach a maximum length of 15cm.
Their diet mainly consists of feeding on coral polyps, usually acropora corals.
Phalguni Ranjan
( Chaetodon trifascialis )
Found in and around coral reefs at depths between 2-30m.
These species have a background pale yellow colour, with dark vertical 'chevron' or 'V' shaped horizontal markings on its body hence originating their name. They also have a dark band that goes through their eyes and a black tail which is outlined in yellow. These species can grow up to a maximum length of 18cm , you can find them usually around the vicinity of Acropora corals.
Their diet mainly consist of feeding on coral polyps and mucus, especially of the staghorn corals.
Phalguni Ranjan
Coastal Impact
( Chaetodon decussatus )
Found in and around coral reefs at depths between 2-30m.
Growing up to a maximum length of 20cm, the Indian vagabond butterflyfish have a greyish-white body with diagonal grey lines on their body. Their eyes are covered by a dark band that goes from the top of their head and over their eyes, additonally the back part of their body close to their tail is also black in colour while their tale is black and yellow.
Their diet mainly consists of feeding on coral polyps and mucus.
Vardhan Patankar
( Chaetodon rafflesii )
Found in and around coral reefs at depths between 1-20m, especially areas with rich coral cover.
Coloured bright yellow, the lattice butterflyfish had dark edges around its scales which gives it a dark lattice like pattern over its yellow background. Moreover, they have a dark band over its eyes which runs from the top of its head coupled with a blue patch on its forhead. They can grow to a maximum length of 18cm.
You can find them usually feeding on coral polyps, anemones and polychaete worms.
Phalguni Ranjan
( Forcipiger longirostris )
Found in and around coral reefs at a maximum depth of 60m.
Growing to about 22cm in length, the Longnose butterflyfish is a species that as the name suggests have a long snout or nose. They have a black triangular coloured area on their head along with a black spot at the base of tail where it connects with the rest of the body.
They have been recorded feeding on crustaceans, starfish, sea urchins and polychaete worms.
Vardhan Patankar
Phalguni Ranjan
( Chaetodon meyeri )
They inhabit areas with rich coral cover and shallow lagoons between depths of 2-25m.
Meyer's butterflyfish can grow up to a maximum length of 20cm, they have a blueish-white body that has curved and black bars on the sides of its body that curve towards the ear of the fish. Addionally, they have black bars on their eye and their mouth as well.
They are known to feed on coral polyps and the mucus produced by the coral.
Phalguni Ranjan
Phalguni Ranjan
( Chaetodon trifasciatus )
You can find them at depths between 2-20m in rich coral reef areas and lagoons.
They are pale orange-yellow in colour with some light purple stripes on the side of their bodies. They also have a black band with a yellow margin that covers their eyes, towards the back of their body closer to the tail they are coloured bluish with a tale that is striped yellow and black. They also have a black spot on the top potion of their body, growing up to a maximum length of 15cm.
They are known to feed exclusively on coral polyps, particularly of Pocillopora.
Phalguni Ranjan
( Chaetodon guttatissimus )
Found in areas with rich coral cover such as lagoons and seaward reef slopes at depths between 3-30m.
The peppered butterflyfish is silvery white in colour with vertical rows of dark spots. They have a thin black bar running through the eye and a slight orange tinge near their tail which is striped black and yellow, they can grow up to a maximum length of 12cm.
A large part of it diets depends on feeding on coral polyps but they feed on algae and small invertebrates as well.
Phalguni Ranjan
Joydeep Sarkar
( Heniochus pleurotaenia )
They are found in shallow lagoons and outer reef slopes where coral cover is rich from surface to a depth of 25m.
Growing up to a maximum length of 17cm, the phantom bannerfish has a sort of triangluar shaped body. Their fins on the top, resemble those of the feathers of a bird. Their bodies are striped with a white and chocolate colour with a brownish colour and have darker shade of brown that cover their mouth and eyes. Another interesting feature is their little horn between their eyes.
They feed on various small invertebrates and other planktonic particles.
Phalguni Ranjan
( Chaetodon lunula )
You can find them in areas with rich coral cover at lagoons and seaward reefs at depths from the surface to about 30m.
Growing up to a length of 20cm, these fish have a background yellow colour with reddish-brown stirpes on the side of the fish. Their tail is also yellow with a tinge of the reddish-brown colour. They have a dark spot at the base of their tail where it meets the rest of the body. However, their most distinctive feature is their black and white bands over their eyes which resemble the markings of a racoon, therefore stemming their name.
They feed mainly on nudibranchs, small invertebrates and also on coral polyps.
Phalguni Ranjan
( Chaetodon collare )
Usually found in areas which rich coral cover from surface depths to 20m.
This species of butterflyfish can grow to about 18cm in length, they have a background colour of brownish-black with scales that are yellow in colour which gives them a sort of spotted pattern. They have a white stripe behind the eye and a black stripe over the eye with another small white stripe in front of the eye. Their name though, comes from the tail and base of the tail being bright red in colour with a black stripe.
Their diet mainly consists of feeding on coral polyps but occasionally on algae and other small invertebrates.
Vardhan Patankar
( Chaetodon auriga )
Found at depths between 1-35m in shallow, tropical waters with rich coral cover.
The threadfin butterflyfish can grow up to about 23 cm long, they have a white body with black 'chevron' or V shaped stripes on the side of their bodies. They have a black spot on the their fin which is on the top of their body. They are called the threadin because of their top fin having a thin extension resembling that of a thread.
They feed mainly on small invertebrates and algae.
Vardhan Patankar
( Chaetodon triangulum )
Found at depths between 1-30 m in shallow, tropical waters most commonly in seaward reefs and lagoons.
They have a triangular shaped body with a snout that is elongated or protruding. The body is mainly white in colour with V shaped or chevron shaped bands along the side. Their mouth is orange and they have a brownish band going through the eye which an orange tinge at the top of the head. Finally, they can grow up to a maximum length of 16 cm.
Their diet mainly consists of feeding on coral polyps and most commonly the Acropora corals.
Joydeep Sarkar
Joydeep Sarkar
Joydeep Sarkar
( Heniochus diphreutes )
Found in tropical waters associated with coral reefs, they seem to prefer outer reef slopes in depths between 5-30m.
Reaching a maximum length of 21 cm, the schooling bannerfish can sometimes be mistaken for the moorish idol because of their slight resemblance. These fish have a flat, thin body with a long first fin which is white in colour and hard to miss. Moreover, this species is mostly found in large groups or 'schools' hence referring to their name. In terms of their colour, they are white with two large black bands and a yellow tail.
They feed on mostly zooplankton.
Jonathan Emmett
( Chaetodon baronessa )
Found at depths between 1-35m in shallow, tropical water most commonly in seaward coral reefs and lagoon.
They grow to a maximum length of 16cm, they have a body with a pattern of cream and greyish-brown to purple coloured V shaped or 'chevron' shaped bars. To add to this, they also have three dark stripes going over their head with one going over their eye. They are known to most commonly live in pairs.
They are known to feed only on coral polyps, mainly the Acropora corals.
Phalguni Ranjan
( Chaetodon vagabundus )
Found at depths between 1-30m in shallow, tropical water most commonly in seaward coral reefs and lagoon.
They have a whitish body which is striped with thin dark diagonal lines that form a chevron like shape on the sides of their body. They have a black band going over the eye, one going through the back of their body where the tail meets the rest of the body and one one their tail itself. Finally, they can grow up to a maximum length of 23 cm.
They feed on algae, coral polyps as well crustaceans and worms.