Butterfly fish

Blue sketch illustration of Butterfly fish
Kosher
Has fins and scales
Fins Yes
Scales Yes
Description

Butterflyfish are generally not eaten. They are valued as aquarium fish, though many are hard to keep because they feed on coral polyps.

Butterflyfish make up a family of small, brightly colored reef fish found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, especially the Indo-Pacific. They live on coral reefs, mostly in shallow water.

Warnings & Kosher Issues
  • Kosher: reef butterflyfish are bony fish with fins and scales, so they are kosher, though they are not normally eaten.
  • Not the same as the freshwater butterflyfish or the marine butterfly ray.