Dive into coral reefs in warm oceans, and you will encounter brilliantly colored butterflyfish flashing through your light. These fish get their name from the fluttering motion of their deep, narrow bodies and their great variety of colors and patterns.
You might wonder how these bright fish can hide from predators, but their coral environment is also very colorful. The varieties of butterflyfish that have an eyespot on the tail and a stripe across the real eye trick predators into trying to seize the wrong end of the fish. This allows the fish to dart quickly out of reach. Additionally, sharp dorsal fins deter predators.
Long beak-like jaws with sharp teeth enable some varieties of butterflyfish to probe the corals for polyps and small animals such as worms and crustaceans.
Batches of hundreds of eggs are laid on a flat rock. Several days later, eggs hatch into long drab fry that acquire the colors of their parents as they mature.
You will need:
- Sketch paper
- Bristol paper
- Ruler
- Prismacolors
- For an aid in determining proportions, start with a rectangle 4” x 5”. Divide with diagonal, vertical, and horizontal lines for positioning your circle. Observing deviations from this circle helps to shape the fish.
- Sketch in fish and background details. Then trace onto Bristol paper.
- Color the fish yellow and black, being careful to leave white highlights on the body and the eye. Use a sharp brown pencil for lines in the fins. Color blue markings.
- With a dull Prismacolor, add areas of orange shading on the fish. Use dark blue on the orb and the shadow below the fish. Start with yellow for the coral near the bottom of your picture. Shade with sharp blue and green pencils.
