Butterfly Fish

A “Black Nosed Butterfly Fish” in Costa Rica

The Pacific Ocean plays host to a number of beautiful fish that attract tourists from all over the world. Butterfly fish are one of those creatures living in the waters of Costa Rica. They are considered to be one of the most prominent fish groups in the ocean, belonging to the family called ‘Chaetodontidae’. Butterfly fish are considered mainly marine tropical fish and do not reside in temperate or freshwater areas. There are believed to be above 120 species of the butterfly fish in both tropical and freshwater areas but the butterfly fish living in freshwater are not directly related to the butterfly fish in the Pacific Ocean and other tropical waters. They usually reside on the reefs found on the bottom of the ocean. The most common school of butterfly fish found in the pacific belongs to the group entitled ‘Chaetodon’. It is said that angel fish resemble butterfly fish very closely but there are minor differences that can become quite noticeable as both fish reach adulthood. Butterfly fish are smaller in size than angel fish and do not possess spines at the gill covers; angel fish on the other hand do have these spines.

Butterfly fish can grow to a length of 4.7 to 8.7 inches and some rare cases can even go up to 12 inches. Out of all the species of butterfly fish, the two largest that have been discovered are called ‘lined butterfly fish’ and the ‘saddle butterfly fish’. Marine biologists have coined the name ‘butterfly fish’ because of the colors and patterns of the fish’s bodies which have a wide variety. The patterns are smart and easily distinguishable, some so beautiful that they take the viewer’s breath away. The colors are vibrant and very attractive; ranging from red and yellow to black, white, blue and orange. There are also some other species of butterfly fish that are pale and light in coloring. Just like butterflies have ‘eye patterns’ on their wings, butterfly fish may also sometimes have these patterns across their flanks or in dark band like structures across their eyes. These patterns resemble a dark colored eye and are very prominent against the bright colors of the butterfly fish’s body. The drawback to having such brightly colored bodies is that these fish are easily noticeable. Another fact about their bodies is that they are laterally compressed which means from profile, they might look wafer thin. This too makes them easily viewable through the reefs they inhabit in the Pacific Ocean. Butterfly fish have dorsal fins without any break in their bodies, and rounded tail fins. These fins aren’t forked like other fish have; they are usually blunted and extend in a long curve.

Usually, butterfly fish can be found at a depth of 50 feet, where the coral reefs start in the ocean. But some species prefer deeper water in the Pacific Ocean and go down to depths of almost 600 feet. Divers have no trouble finding these fish because of their beautiful jewel like colors and conspicuous bodies. For this reason, they are also very popular as aquarium fish. Children and adults alike like to have these fish decorating their aquariums in the office as well as home for attraction purposes.