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Marine fish

Pearly butterflyfish

Pearly butterflyfish

Pearly butterflyfish have very distinct colouration - silver-white bodies, yellow hindquarters and black chevron stripes pointing towards their heads.

They inhabit sea-facing reefs off the east coast of Southern Africa, where they hunt small invertebrates and scavenge scraps of seaweed.

The IUCN status is Least Concern.

  • This carnivore feeds on coral polyps, phytoplankton, polychaete worms and cnidaria species
  • Interestingly, the scientific name for this beauty is Chaetodon madagaskariensis, with a “k” and not a “c”. The strange spelling comes from the fact that the species was first described in a German publication.
  • Also known as Seychelle’s butterflyfish, Madagascar butterflyfish, chevron butterflyfish or pearscale butterflyfish.
  • Widespread in the Indian Ocean – East Africa to Sri Lanka.
  • Grows up to 15cm across