Foureye Butterflyfish

The Foureye Butterflyfish (Chaetodon capistratus) is one of the most common butterflyfish of the western Atlantic and Caribbean. Its name comes from a large, white-ringed black false eyespot near the tail, which together with the dark bar hiding the real eye can make predators mistake the rear for the head. The silvery-white body is patterned with fine dark chevron lines radiating across the flanks. It is a familiar reef fish usually seen in pairs, gleaning on the classic butterflyfish disc shape and small, brush-like teeth.

Identify the Foureye Butterflyfish by:

• A large white-ringed black false eyespot near the tail base.
• A dark bar through the real eye to disguise the head.
• Silvery-white body with fine dark chevron lines.
• Disc-shaped body, ~12-15 cm.

The prominent rear eyespot combined with the disguised true eye is the defining feature.

Foureye Butterflyfish inhabit coral reefs, reef flats, and seagrass margins from the shallows to about 20 m throughout the western Atlantic and Caribbean. They favour shallow, coral-rich reef zones and are among the most frequently seen butterflyfish in the region, usually close to structure.

Foureye Butterflyfish are diurnal omnivores that feed on coral polyps, small invertebrates, worms, and algae, picking delicately at the reef. They are typically seen in pairs and are thought to form long-term pair bonds. The false eyespot and head-hiding bar help deflect predator strikes toward the less vulnerable rear. At night they shelter in the reef, and pairs spawn into the water column.