Common Name: Butterfly fish
Scientific name Chaetodontidae: This family is made up of 10 genera with 114 species.
Discoverer and date:Probably Chaetodon capistratus Linnaeus, 1758 (Foureye butterflyfish)
Where: Butterflyfishes are primarily tropical, although some species can be found in temperate regions. Most species occur in the Indo- West Pacific, from Australia to Taiwan. Thirteen genera and 113 species have been identified and named.
There are differences among the species, but mature individuals of different species range from 4 to 13 inches.
Their name comes from their front row of teeth: chaite Greek for hair, and odontos for tooth.
They are often easily identified by their elongated mouth and jaw structure, which facilitates their feeding on coral polyps, anemones, and small invertebrates and plankton.