Butterflyfish Coloring Pages

A fish that flutters like a butterfly

Butterflyfish are fish that live in warm sea rocks and coral reefs.
They got this name because their flat bodies flutter around as they swim, looking just like a butterfly flying between flowers.
There are many kinds of Butterflyfish in oceans around the world, and you can see dozens of types in Japan's seas too.
The "Butterflyfish" in this coloring page is a classic member of that family, living in Japan's southern seas, Izu, and Ogasawara.
They grow to be about 20 centimeters long.

A black band that hides its eyes

The first coloring page shows a Butterflyfish from the side.
Its body has yellow color with many thin stripes lined up.
And look, there is a black band running straight down over its eye.
Right behind the black band, a white band sits next to it.
Because its eye hides inside the black band, people say it is hard for enemies to tell where its head is.
The top fin and bottom fin spread out wide along the edges of its body, making the whole body look round.

Swimming side by side

The second page shows two Butterflyfish swimming side by side over a coral reef.
Rays of light shine down from above through the water's surface.
You can often see Butterflyfish swimming together as a pair.
Below them, you can see branch-shaped corals and flat, table-like corals spreading out.
Their flat bodies are perfect for slipping right into small spaces in corals and rocks.
When enemies come near, they hide in the coral gaps to stay safe.

A busy, lively coral reef

The third page is a busy, lively coral reef filled with many sea creatures.
There are two big Butterflyfish in front, and smaller Butterflyfish swimming in the back.
All around them, you can see different shapes of coral, seaweed, starfish, shells, and schools of little fish.
Butterflyfish poke their tiny mouths into gaps in rocks and corals to eat small creatures like sea worms, as well as coral polyps.

Make it a lively fish with bright yellow

Color the body with bright yellow.
If you add a little orange or yellowish-brown on its back, it will look 3D!
For the thin stripes, trace over the yellow with light brown or orange lines.
If all the stripes are too dark, it will look heavy, so the trick is to make them thin and light.

Make the black and white bands stand out

Color the band across the eye nicely and firmly with black or dark gray.
Leave a small white spot in the eye for light!
Leave the paper white for the band right behind it without coloring it.
When the yellow, black, and white stand out clearly, it will look just like a Butterflyfish!
Color the black band on the edge of the dorsal fin with the same black to match.
Make the tail fin and chest fins light yellow or cream color. Making them brighter than the body makes them look like fluttering fins!

Colors for the coral and the ocean

Since the Butterflyfish is yellow, use pink, purple, or light blue for the coral around it to make the yellow stand out!
On the second page, leave the light rays white and color the water between them light blue. It will look like real sunlight shining through!
We also have coloring pages for other coral reef fish like the Moorish Idol and the Indo-Pacific Blue Tang. Try lining them up to make your own coral reef guide!
For the school of small fish on the third page, try giving each fish a different color like blue, light blue, or orange. It will look lively and fun!

The black stripe hides its eyes

Many friends of the Butterflyfish hide their eyes with a black stripe.
People think this makes it hard for enemies to see where their eyes are, so their heads do not get targeted.
Some of them even have round patterns like eyes near their tails.
Hiding their real eyes and showing fake ones is such a smart trick!

Its mouth is small and pointy

Friends of the Butterflyfish have small, pointy mouths.
They use this mouth like tweezers to pick up and eat tiny creatures hiding in rocks and coral.
Some of them even have very long mouths!

They float to northern seas from summer to autumn

Young Butterflyfish ride warm ocean currents and come to the coast of Honshu from summer to autumn.
These fish are called "seasonal visiting fish," and you can sometimes find them near rocky shores or sea walls.
The Stripey, which comes from southern seas the same way, is also a fish with pretty stripes.