Butterfly Fish Classification

Found in most oceans of the world, butterfly fish are small, thin, disk-shaped reef fish with pointed noses. There are about 127 species of butterfly fish within 11 genera. All fish are within the kingdom Anamalia. After that, they may be divided into different phyla, classes, orders, families, genera and species.

  1. Phylum

    • Butterfly fish are in the phylum Chordata, which includes all vertebrates (and some nonvertebrates.) Members of this phylum must have at some point in their development a rod that extends most of the length of the body.

    Class

    • The class Actinopterygii is characterized as "ray-finned fishes." These fins are webs of skin supported by bony spines ("rays"), as opposed to the fleshy, lobed fins characteristic of the Sarcopterygi "bony fishes." Fin rays attach directly to the skeleton.

    Order

    • Butterfly fish are within the order Perciformes, or "perch-like fish." Perciformes have spines on the front of the dorsal and anal fins, pelvic fins of one spine and five rays or rods, scales and the presence of a lateral line of nerves along the body.

    Family

    • Chaetodontidae is the family consisting of butterfly fish, banner fish and coral fish. Found mostly on the reefs of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, these fish get their name from the ancient Greek words chaite, for "hair" and odontos for "tooth." This alludes to rows of brushlike teeth found in their small, protruding mouths.

    Genus

    • There are many genera within the family Chaetontidae which are commonly grouped under the name "butterfly fish." Of these, fish in the genus Chaetodon are always referred to as butterfly fish, but some fish are called butterfly fish which occur within the genera Hemitaurichthys, Heniochus, Forcipiger, Chelmon, Chelmonops, Johnrandallia, Prognathodes, Coradion and Amphichaetodon.