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butterfly fish
butterfly fish common name for certain members of the Chaetodontidae, a family of reef-dwelling tropical fishes that also includes the angelfishes and is closely allied to the spadefishes and the tangs. All have compressed bodies and small mouths and teeth. Butterfly fish are carnivorous, feeding on crabs, barnacles, and other invertebrates. The fast and aggressive common butterfly fish, 5 to 8 in. (12.5–20 cm) long, is marked by dark lines through the eyes and near the tail. The angelfishes have spines on their gill covers and long filaments on their dorsal fins. The queen angelfish, a good food fish that reaches 2 ft (60 cm) in length, is colored in blues and yellows; the smaller, more numerous common angelfish is similar. The French angelfish is black with yellow scale edgings; the black angelfish is solid black; and the bizarre rock beauty has a black body with yellow head, fins, and tail. The spadefishes are larger (up to 3 ft/90 cm) and faster than the angelfishes and are valued both as food and as game fishes. They are barred in black and white. The tangs have variable coloration. They include the violet-brown doctorfish or surgeonfish, the 8-in. (20-cm) blue tang, and the larger and more abundant ocean tang of deep waters. The butterfly fishes are classified in the phylum Chordata , subphylum Vertebrata, class Osteichthyes, order Perciformes, family Chaetodontidae. |
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"butterfly fish." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "butterfly fish." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-butterfl-fi.html "butterfly fish." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-butterfl-fi.html |
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Chaetodontidae
Chaetodontidae (butterfly fish, angelfish; subclass Actinopterygii, order Perciformes) Large family of marine, deep-bodied, and almost discus-shaped fish. They have a small, protractile mouth, minute teeth on the jaws (the name is derived from the Greek khaite, hair, and odont-, tooth), a single, continuous dorsal fin with scales along the base, and a round to notched tail fin. The family includes numerous beautiful, brightly coloured species, which are very popular among sea-water aquarium hobbyists. Among the more widely distributed butterfly fish are Chaetodon capistratus (four-eye butterfly fish) of the western Atlantic, and Chaetodon vagabundus (vagabond butterfly fish) of the Indo-Pacific and northern Australia. Angelfish, e.g. Pomacanthus imperator (emperor angelfish) of the Indo-Pacific, have a characteristic spine at the angle of the pre-opercle (part of the gill cover), and are often placed in a separate family, the Pomacanthidae.
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Cite this article
MICHAEL ALLABY. "Chaetodontidae." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "Chaetodontidae." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-Chaetodontidae.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "Chaetodontidae." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-Chaetodontidae.html |
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butterfly fish
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Cite this article
MICHAEL ALLABY. "butterfly fish." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "butterfly fish." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-butterflyfish.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "butterfly fish." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-butterflyfish.html |
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tang
tang see butterfly fish . |
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Cite this article
"tang." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "tang." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-tang.html "tang." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-tang.html |
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