Although many of the colors and shapes help make the coral reef an interesting and beautiful place, these characteristics are actually defense mechanisms that help fish protect themselves against predators. Let's study the characteristics and traits of some of the more common types of coral reef fishes and try to understand why they look the way they do. The butterfly fish is a small, flat fish that commonly swims in twos and threes. When threatened by a predator aiming for this false eye, the butterflyfish simply flicks its tail and makes its escape. Butterflyfish also have sharp spines along their backs that make them an unpleasant mouthful for even a successful predator.
All butterfly fish have flexible, comb-like teeth and feed in a variety of ways.
Some species have pointed mouths to suck coral polyps out of their coral skeletons, and other species are adapted to eat plankton, shrimps, sponges, and worms. Butterfly fish are commonly colored yellow, with white and black stripes and patterns. They are among the most brightly beautiful inhabitants and often captured and sold as aquarium fish. Their abundance indicates that the reef is very healthy. For this reason, the butterflyfish are often called a coral reef indicator species.