Butterflyfish

The butterflyfish are colorful tropial marine fish found on the reefs of the Us Virgin Islands. They are commonly mistaken for the agelfish (although they are much smaller). They range from 12 to 22 centimetres in length.

Butterflyfish are found throughout the Caribbean as well as the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Mated pairs live together inside large home ranges and may remain together for a lifetime. Territorial defense rarely occurs and then only late in the day, generally close to the courtship period.

Generally, they are diurnal and frequenting waters of less than 18 meters. Popular and is many of the fish you would be able to see if you scuba dive or even if you snorkle. The Butterflyfish, fill the undersea landscape of wonderful colors, contrasting with the already beautiful sights the coral reef provides. Their coloration also makes butterflyfish popular aquarium fish. However, most species feed on coral polyps and sea anemones. A problem that commonly occurs is that some people extract them off the wild for private collection, without permits.

Researches show that the Butterflyfish can be added to the list of the world’s living fossils, placing it in the same category as the famed coelacanth, as well as other creatures such as plethodontid salamanders and horseshoe crabs.