Pesce Farfalla dal Dorso Nero (Chaetodon Melannotus) Habitat: plan coral reef and external slope Depth: 10-30m. Size: reaches 15 cm. Characteristics: the oval body is crossed by diagonal white and black stripes that partially change of color whenever the animal is frightened or during the night. On the superior portion of the back is present a wide black area where are visible one or two white spots. It lives alone or in pair eating mainly the polyps of the madrepore among whose branches it find shelter.
	Pesce Farfalla Auriga (Chaetodon Auriga) Habitat: external coral reef, sandy zone Depth: 5-40m. Size: reaches 18cm. Characteristics: this butterflyfish is easily identifiable by the long terminal ray of the dorsal fin; the coloration is whitish striped of black with a yellow back portion. This species is present also in the Pacific where it is however characterized by a black spot at the base of the long ray of the dorsal fin.
	Pesce Farfalla dal Collare Bianco (Chaetodon Collare) Habitat: external reef Depth: 1-20m. Size: reaches 16cm. Characteristics: very common butterflyfish in the Maldive islands. The livery is dark brown with small diagonal lines of yellow scale, a white band is set behind to the black area of the eye (from which the name "collar") while the tail is red in the central portion. It eats coral polyps and small worms, having a preference for the rich zones of coral life. It lives in groups or also in pair and is not timid to the divers.
	Pesce Farfalla a Muso Lungo (Forcipiger Longirostris) Habitat: external reef Depth: 2-60m. Size: reaches 22cm. Characteristics: unmistakeable butterflyfish with a very thin and lengthened face that ends with form of tweezers (you see photo) and that allows him of reaching his preys through the branches of the corals. The body is yellow and the superion portion of the head is black while the inferior one is white. To be noticed the black and round spot set on the tail that constitutes a diversionary for his predators giving the deceptive idea to be an eye. It lives solitary or in pair, rarely in small groups.
	Pesce Farfalla dalla Doppia Sella (Chaetodon Falcula) Habitat: external reef Depth: 3-15m. Size: reaches 20cm. Characteristics: this butterflyfish is characterized by two evident black spots on the yellow back (from which the name). Upon the eye is present the characteristic black bend of the fishes of this family and the white body is crossed by thin black vertical stripes. It eats prevalently the polyps of coral, having a preference for the rich zones of coral life. It lives in groups or also in pair and is not timid to the divers.
	Pesce Farfalla dal Vessillo (Heniochus Diphreutes) Habitat: open water near the reef Depth: 1-210m. Size: reaches 18cm. Characteristics: in these butterflyfishes the fourth backbone finishes strongly extended in a way similar, like tells the name, to a banner. Different kind of Heniochus with this characteristic exists; the diphreutes variety lives in big benches that swim distanced above the reef having a preference for areas of tide where it is possible capture the plankton that this species eats. The juvenile, instead, prefer to stay mostly close to the reef which offers them a better protection.
	Pesce Bandiera Mascherato (Heniochus Monoceros) Habitat: lagoons and coral reef Depth: 2-25m. Size: reaches 23cm. Characteristics: in these butterflyfishes the fourth backbone ends moderately extended as regards the Diphreutes or to the acuminatus forming a "banner" of modest sizes. A very bashful kind characterized by a black zone that covers all the face (from which the name masked). Characteristics are the small bony protuberances set in the occipital zone. It lives both in couples and in group preferring areas with abundance of coral life.
	Pesce Farfalla dalla Macchia (Chaetodon Unimaculatos) Habitat: coral reef Depth: 5-25m. Size: reaches 23cm. Characteristics: butterflyfish with a yellow intense livery with the typical black spot that confers him the name. A black band is present on the eye and on back of the dorsal, anal and tail fins. The face is more strong and less pointed respect to other species of his family; eating the polyps of coral, in fact, sometimes ingests pieces of calyx too. It lives alone or in pair.
	Pesce Farfalla di Bennet (Chaetodon Bennetti) Habitat: coral reef Depth: 3-25m. Size: reaches 19cm. Characteristics: likewise to the Chaetodon unimaculatus this butterflyfish shows a yellow livery with a black spot on the back and a black band on the eye, but, is characterized by blue and white curvilinear striations sideways and around the black areas already described. It eats just polyps of coral despite the face not too pointed. It lives alone or in couple.
	Foureye Butterflyfish Juvenile (Chaetodon Capistratus)  Habitat: Flit about reef tops; often in pairs Depth: 3-20m Size: 4cm Characteristics: silver-gray. Black bar on head runs across eye; yellowish submarginal band on rear dorsal, tail and anal fins. The juvenile has two wide, dusky body bars, very young have second, smaller black spot ocellated in white on rear dorsal above larger spot.
	Foureye Butterflyfish (Chaetodon Capistratus)  Habitat: Flit about reef tops; often in pairs Depth: 3-20m Size: 12cm Characteristics: silver-gray. Marked with numerous dark, thin lines that radiate at a diagonal from midbody; black bar on head runs across eye; yellowish submarginal band on rear dorsal, tail and anal fins. Has a black spot, ringed in white, on rear body near upper base of tail.
	Banded Butterflyfish Juvenile (Chaetodon Striatus) Habitat: Flit about reef tops, usually in pairs Depth: 3-20m Size: 4cm Characteristics: silver to white. Black bar on head runs across eye; blackish border on rear of body, base of rear dorsal and anal fins. The juvenile has a black spot ringed in white on rear dorsal fin (easily distinguished from similar juveniles by lack of any yellowish fins).
	Banded Butterflyfish (Chaetodon Striatus) Habitat: Flit about reef tops, usually in pairs Depth: 3-20m Size: 12cm Characteristics: silver to white. Black bar on head runs across eye; blackish border on rear of body, base of rear dorsal and anal fins. Has two wide, black midbody bands.
	Reef Butterflyfish Juvenile (Chaetodon Sedetarius) Habitat: Flit about reef tops, often in pairs Depth: 6-40m Size: 4cm Characteristics: yellowish back and dorsal fin; silver-white lower body; yellow to reddish yellow tail. Black bar on head runs across eye. The Juvenile has a black bar on rear anal fin and base of tail. Very young has small black spot on rear dorsal fin.
	Reef Butterflyfish (Chaetodon Sedetarius) Habitat: Flit about reef tops, often in pairs Depth: 6-40m Size: 12cm Characteristics: yellowish back and dorsal fin; silver-white lower body; yellow to reddish yellow tail. Black bar on head runs across eye. Has a broad, dark, bar-like area on rear body, including the rear portions of dorsal and anal fins.
	Spotfin Butterflyfish Juvenile (Chaetodon Ocellatus) Habitat: Flit about reef tops, often in pairs Depth: 4-20m Size: 4cm Characteristics: silver-white. Black bar on head runs across eye; may have darkish spot on rear dorsal fin below distinctive black dot noted above. The juvenile has a translucent tail, very young has a black spot on the rear dorsal, the anal and base tail fins which, with maturity, join to form a rear body bar.
	Spotfin Butterflyfish (Chaetodon Ocellatus) Habitat: Flit about reef tops, often in pairs Depth: 4-20m Size: 15cm Characteristics: silver-white. Black bar on head runs across eye; may have darkish spot on rear dorsal fin below distinctive black dot noted above, the fins (except the pectoral one) is bright yellow. Has a black dot on outer edge of rear dorsal fin. J
	Longsnout Butterflyfish (Chaetodon Aculeatus) Habitat: Usually solitary; generally inhabit deeper reefs and walls Depth: 6-60m Size: 9cm Characteristics: the upper half of body is yellowish changing to orange, and darkening to orangish brown and black on dorsal fin; the lower body is white. Has a long, pointed snout. Dusky to yellow bar runs from upper head across eye, but not below eye as in other butterflies.