White fish with a black bar camouflaging the eye, thin latticed black bands along the body, a black bar before the tail and rounded yellow fins.

Lined butterflyfish

Chaetodon lineolatus
Where at Shedd?
Wild Reef
Diet Hard corals and invertebrates
Size Length: Up to 12 inches (30 cm)
Type Fishes
Range Indian and West-Central Pacific Oceans
Habitat Lagoons, sea-facing reefs and in coral reefs

Did you know?

  1. Bright colors and designs help butterflyfish disappear against the many colors of the reef.
  2. When butterflyfish wear stripes and spots, predators can’t quite tell what shape and size it really is.
  3. Most butterflyfish have a dark stripe through their eye and an “eyespot” located towards their tail which helps confuse predators.

IUCN Red List Conservation Status