Saddleback Butterflyfish

The Saddleback Butterflyfish (Chaetodon ephippium) is a large, handsome butterflyfish widespread across the Indo-Pacific. It is named for the prominent black patch, edged in white, that sits like a saddle over the upper rear of its pale blue-grey body. The lower body and snout are washed with yellow, and adults may show a short filament on the dorsal fin. Butterflyfish are diurnal reef fish with disc-shaped bodies and small, bristle-like teeth. The Saddleback is a conspicuous and popular species on coral reefs.

Identify the Saddleback Butterflyfish by:

• A large black saddle patch, boldly edged in white, on the upper rear body.
• Pale blue-grey body with fine horizontal lines on the lower flanks.
• Yellow snout, throat, and lower body, with an orange tail margin.
• Disc-shaped body, ~18-23 cm.

The white-edged black saddle over a yellow-and-grey body is unmistakable.

Saddleback Butterflyfish inhabit coral-rich reefs, lagoons, and reef flats from shallow water to about 30 m across the tropical Indo-Pacific and central Pacific. They favour areas with abundant live coral and mixed reef structure, and are often seen singly or in pairs cruising over the reef.

Saddleback Butterflyfish are diurnal and omnivorous, feeding on coral polyps, small invertebrates, algae, and fish eggs picked from the reef with their small, brush-like teeth. They are often encountered singly or in pairs, and many butterflyfish form long-term pair bonds. At night they shelter in the reef. They spawn as pairs, releasing eggs into the water column above the reef.