Butterflyfish,Angelfish,KingAngelfish.pdfVIP

Cynthia Mlakar Butterflyfish, Angelfish, King Angelfish Butterflyfish and Angelfish are tropical marine fishes, and favorites of marine aquarists. They have round, laterally compressed discus-shaped bodies with small fan shaped tails. Both live in reef environments, are usually found in pairs, and are diurnal. At one time they were classified as the same family, Chaetodontidae. Now, this term refers to the Butterflyfish, and the Angelfish are classified as Pomacanthidae. Their similarities are believed to result from their convergence to fill a common niche in the reef environment. Differences in internal anatomy, particularly of the nervous systems, have been discovered recently, suggesting origins from two separate lines. There are two readily identifiable differences. First, Angelfish always have at least one prominent spine on the posterior edge of the gill cover, while Butterflys have spiny dorsal fins. Second, Angels have a blunt shaped head while Butterflyfish have a beak-like snout. Butterflyfish Class: Osteichthyes (ray-finned fishes) Order: Perciformes (perch-like fishes) Family: Chaetodontidae (Butterflyfish) Butterflyfish (Chaetodontidae) (key-toe-dawn-tid-ee) are named for the narrow rows of tiny teeth in their jaws, “Chaeto” means bristle, and “donte” means teeth. The common name “Butterflyfish” is derived from their bright colors and darting movements around coral reefs, similar to butterflies in a field of wildflowers. Over 125 species of Butterflyfish, have been identified. They are found in most oceans, with more diversity and higher population in the Indo- Pacific. Most Butterflyfish are not territorial, but have a large home range area closely associated with live corals and usually dwell in depths of 60 feet or less. Butterflyfish are usually seen in pairs, as they mate for life, but