Saddleback Butterfly: Chaetodon ephippium
Angelfish is a name used for several different fishes, including the true angelfishes, (Pomacanthidae) and the butterfly fishes (Chaetodontidae). Angelfishes differ from butterfly fishes in having a spine near the lower edge of the gill cover. These laterally compressed fishes are among the most beautiful of the tropical reef fishes. Most species are only a few centimeters long, but some grow to 24 inches. In many species the juveniles and adults are colored differently. The young French angelfish is black with bright yellow bands; the adult is mainly black. The queen angelfish is also differently colored as a juvenile. The Saddleback Butterfly fish Chaetodon ephippium feeds on filamentous algae, small invertebrates, coral polyps, and fish eggs.
The saddleback is technically a butteflyfish, part of the same family as angelfish
Print Number - AF011
Limited Edition signed color photography for sale by Stephen Brunson
Saddleback Butterfly, Chaetodon ephippium Statistics:

Size:            12 - 14 inches
Lifespan:       Approximately 15 years
Breeding:      The juveniles are very different in appearance from the adult specimens
Habitat:        Shallow coral reefs and walls in depths of 100 feet or less
Diet:             Sponges, algae, and small invertebrates
Distribution:  The saddleback butterflyfish is found all about Micronesia and Australia, and tropical waters from Hawaii to Japan
Habit:           Active during the day and often lethargic at night

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