Hybrid angelfish seem to get a lot of attention but there also exists unusual hybrids of butterflyfish. The picture above shows an interesting hybrid that came into a local fish market last week right after being captured from the Andaman Sea at the southern part of Thailand. This hybrid butterflyfish is assumed to be a cross between Chaetodon auriga and C. lineolatus. The shape is almost identical to C. auriga, but it has no stripes on the body with a black marking on the face anda yellowish posterior that look closely related to the lineolatus butterflyfish.
When it comes to natural hybrids of butterflyfish, you can only guess as to who the parents are by looking at their shape and pattern but no real answer without undertaking DNA analysis or scientific methods. Even though there is a record of this specific cross of C. auriga and C. lineolatus, this is still an interesting specimen to actually see. Butterflyfish hybrids are not common in the ornamental fish trade. In fact, many are rare and fetching very high price in the market and some are not even caught. This hybrid is not a real spectacular fish with extravagant colors that will attract people at a first glance, but a diehard fish enthusiast will surely stop and give this hybrid butterflyfish a second look.
