Banded butterflyfish

The banded butterflyfish is a commonly encountered reef fish here in Bonaire.  Often they are seen in pairs, flitting about the reef.  Although their general coloration is black and silvery white, they have lovely blue and gold markings above their snout. The black bar that runs through the eye confuses predators as to the location of the eyes. Juveniles have a false eye spot to further confuse predators.

The fish in these photos were about 4 inches long, and the photos were taken at depths from 25 to 40 feet.  This graceful fish is not shy, and is always fun to see.