[4] Ornate butterflyfish adults are predominately found in pairs that occupy exclusive territories including Clearwater lagoons and seaward reefs rich in coral growth (size range ~100-1400m2).

[4] On the other hand, juvenile Chaetodon ornatissimus live in solitary, tend to be shy, and hide in the arms of branching corals for protection.

[8] Ornate butterflyfish like other coral reef organisms, have many natural and anthropogenic disruptions which play a major role in loss of habitat of.

A study by Pratchett et al., revealed that declines in abundance of Chaetodon butterflyfish were almost certainly related to coral depletion.

[10] Anthropogenic impacts of overfishing of herbivorous fish and increase of eutrophication create favorable conditions for seaweed growth.

[10] Increase in seaweed-dominated benthic communities limits expansion of coral colonies and availability of surfaces for larval settlement and development.

[11] Other obligate corallivores (coral-eating) butterflyfish species include: Chaetodon austriacus, C. baronessa, C. bennetti, C. larvatus, C. lunulatus, C. meyeri, C. octofasiatus, C. rainfordi, and C. trifasicatus[12].

[11] Butterflyfish have very fine hair-like teeth that enable them to pick out small organisms inaccessible to most other fish for eating.

All of those food sources tend to crawl back into their shells; therefore, butterflyfish need to be able to hover motionless while picking at the coral, and to dart swiftly over short distances to get the organisms that retreat into hiding before they retract.