Ornate Butterflyfish

Chaetodon ornatissimus

The Ornate Butterflyfish is a reef-dwelling Indo-Pacific butterflyfish known for its yellow body, bold blue-edged bars, and strong dependence on live coral. It is not a typical angling target and is rarely taken intentionally.

Saltwater

Ornate Butterflyfish reference image — Rickard Zerpe, cc-by, via Wikimedia Commons. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Identification points

Bright yellow body with two broad white-to-pale blue vertical bars.
Dark blue lines on the face and body edged in blue.
Long snout and rounded butterflyfish profile with a mostly yellow tail base.

Habitat

Shallow coral reefs, lagoon reefs, and reef slopes with abundant live corals, especially branching Acropora and other coral-rich zones from the surface to roughly 20 m.

Bait notes

Not a standard game species. If incidentally targeted in reef collection contexts, tiny coral-reef invertebrate imitations, bits of shrimp, or very small live planktonic baits are most relevant; capture for fishing is uncommon.

Behavior

Usually seen in pairs or small groups, picking at coral polyps and small benthic invertebrates by day. It is highly site-attached and tends to avoid open sand or degraded reef areas.

Caution

Coral reef species; avoid handling to protect its delicate body and the reef. Local collection rules may restrict harvest or aquarium capture, and the species is vulnerable to coral loss from habitat degradation.

Fishing notes

This species is best observed rather than fished for. In regions where capture is legal, use very light tackle and tiny hooks near healthy coral heads, but avoid contact with the reef and release immediately if caught.