It seems that another species of marine life is being affected by the degradation of coral reefs around the world: Chaetodon trifascialis, otherwise known as the Chevroned Butterflyfish.

These hapless beings may very well face extinction unless something is done about it. According to scientists Dr. Morgan Pratchett and Dr. Michael Berumen, the Chevroned Butterflyfish has very specialized feeding habits.

When combined with the dangers facing coral reefs these days, that may make it a possible candidate for extinction. Pratchett and Berumen explained that this species of fish only eat one kind of coral - Acropora hyacinthus.

Should their food disappear, the butterflyfish, it seems, would rather starve than eat something else. Pratchett and Berumen even put the Chevroned Butterflyfish through some tests to confirm this. They placed the fish in a tank that contained a variety of different corals.

Sure enough, the butterflyfish thrived when their favorite food was present and starved when it was taken out. The A. hyacinthus is a particularly vulnerable to attacks by plagues of crown-of-thorns starfish, storms, and coral bleaching caused by the heating of ocean surface waters to 32 degrees or higher, which is thought to be linked to global warming.

Furthermore, the Chevroned Butterflyfish are also prime targets for aquarium collectors.