Banded Butterflyfish

Photo: Alison Young · CC BY-NC

Banded butterflyfish swim in mated pairs through the Cathedral's cavern sections, feeding on coral polyps, small worms, and crustaceans from the encrusted walls with their fine, forceps-like mouths. Their faithful pair-bonding means sightings are almost always of two individuals swimming in close synchrony, which divers report makes them among the most characterful subjects for underwater photography. The species is an indicator of reef health — their abundance here reflects the relatively low coral disease and bleaching pressure Bermuda experiences compared to more tropical Caribbean reefs.