Where do butterflyfish live?

The 114 species of butterflyfish live along the reefs of tropical coastal waters throughout the world. During the day, they are spotted along coral and other rock structures in search or worms and other invertebrates, retiring to reef crevices at night.

Most butterflyfish species are solitary. The adults grow to 8 inches in length. The thin, disc-shaped body of the butterflyfish may be a combination of blue, orange, red and yellow. The colors of the fish dim at night, enabling them to blend in with reef backgrounds. The same vertical dark bands across the eyes often appear along the tail, which further confuses predators.