The members of the family Chaetodontidae (butterflyfish) are amongst the most conspicuous and admired fishes on coral reefs. Their deep disk-like bodies are often boldly colored, as if to advertise their presence and catch the eye of a snorkeler or diver, as these fish usually swim openly about on the reefs. They are popularly known as butterflyfishes, coralfishes and bannerfishes.
There are about 130 species of butterflyfish, variously distributed in all tropical to subtropical seas, placed in 11 genera, some of which comprise subgenera that may undergo revisionary work in the near future.
Most species live at shallow depths, mainly on reef crests and slopes, but some occur on deep outer reef walls and are rarely seen by amateur divers. Several species have been photographed at depths of about 200m from submersibles in recent years.
