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Related FAQs:
Chaetodon Butterflyfishes,
FAQs 2, Chaetodon
Identification, Chaetodon Behavior,
Chaetodon Compatibility,
Chaetodon Selection, Chaetodon
Systems, Chaetodon Feeding,
Chaetodon Disease, Chaetodon Reproduction,
Butterflyfish Identification, Butterflyfish
Foods/Feeding/Nutrition, Butterflyfish
Compatibility, Butterflyfish
Behavior, Butterflyfish
Systems, Butterflyfish
Selection, Butterflyfish Disease,
Related Articles: Best/Worst
Butterflyfishes,
/The Conscientious
Marine Aquarist
Butterflyfishes of the Genus Chaetodon
Part 3 of 4, Poor Choices
To: Good, Medium,
& Unknown Chaetodon Choices pages: Split
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By Bob Fenner |
Chaetodon baronessa |
Bad Chaetodon Butterflies: 90 some percent of these species are
dead within a month of wild collection
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Chaetodon adiergastos Seale 1910, the Panda
Butterflyfish. Far west tropical Pacific in distribution. A coral polyp plus
other invertebrate feeder. To six inches total length. This one in Pulau Redang,
Malaysia.
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| Chaetodon aureofasciatus
Macleav 1878, the Golden-Striped Butterflyfish. From all along Australia's
northern coast over to New Guinea. Another coral polyp feeder. Images from
off of Queensland in
Australia. Go visit it there. Below; one, two and five (maximum size)
individuals. |
| Chaetodon austriacus
Ruppell 1835, the Red Sea Melon or Exquisite Butterflyfish. A Red Sea and
Gulf of Aden endemic. Never lives in captivity, unlike so many of the
other fishes hailing from this area. A feeder on live corals, anemones and
snail eggs. Pix from the Red Sea. |
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Chaetodon baronessa Cuvier 1831, the Eastern Triangular
or Baroness Butterflyfish. Like the similar Indian Ocean congener, Chaetodon
triangulum, this fish is a strict feeder on coral polyps. Too often shipped
out of Fiji, the Philippines and Indonesia. To six inches in the wild.
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Chaetodon bennetti Cuvier 1831, Bennett's
Butterflyfish. Central Pacific to Africa's east coast. To about six inches total
length. Most all food consists of coral polyps. Juvenile and adult coloration in
specimens in the Cook Islands and Fiji shown.
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Chaetodon capistratus Linnaeus 1758, the Foureye
Butterflyfish. Tropical west Atlantic, Caribbean To six inches. A broad feeding
strategy, but still does poorly in adapting to captive conditions. A juvenile in
an aquarium and adult at night in the Bahamas.
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Chaetodon flavirostris Gunther 1873, the Black or Yellow-Faced
Butterflyfish. Usually shy and non-feeding. Eats coral polyps, other
bottom-dwelling invertebrates and algae in the wild. To some eight inches long.
Way too often sold to the hobby as juveniles... they don't live. The first one at a
wholesalers, the second in the Cook Islands.
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Chaetodon humeralis Gunther 1860, the Sea of Cortez
Three-Banded or East Pacific Butterflyfish. Found all along the tropical east
Pacific coast of Central America up into the Mar de Cortez. To a maximum of
seven inches in length. This one off of Cabo.
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Chaetodon larvatus Cuvier 1831, the Masked or Orange-Face
Butterflyfish. Restricted in range, Red Sea to lower Gulf of Aden. Only
eats Acroporid coral polyps... Closely related to C. baronessa, C.
triangulum. To five inches long. Aquarium photograph by RMF.
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Chaetodon lineolatus Cuvier 1831, the Lined
Butterflyfish. At a foot long, vying for largest Butterflyfish of the family. Widespread from
Hawai'i over to the east coast of Africa, into the Red Sea. A beauty that eats
corals, anemones, much of all else, but doesn't live. Below:
One in Hawai'i, another in
Fiji, and a third in the Red Sea.
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| Chaetodon lunulatus Quoy & Gaimard 1824, the
Redfin Butterflyfish. Easily confused with the Indian Ocean Redfin
Butterflyfish, Chaetodon trifasciatus, this western Pacific to
Hawaii congener fares no better in captivity. To about six inches long in
the wild... leave it there. Here's a specimen in Fiji. |

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Chaetodon melapterus Guichenot 1862. Arabian or Black-Finned
Melon Butterflyfish. Coming from the middle of the Red Sea down and around
Yemen, Oman into the Persian Gulf, this is another "principally coral polyp
feeder". To about five inches in length. Aquarium image.
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| Chaetodon meyeri Bloch
& Schneider 1801, Meyer's Butterflyfish. Widespread in the Indian
Ocean to western Pacific Oceans, this species is another loser that is
too-frequently sold as a "miscellaneous" butterfly. Only eats
coral polyps... In the Maldives and N. Sulawesi. |
 
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Chaetodon ocellatus Bloch 1781, the Spotfin
Butterflyfish. Caribbean on south to Brazil. To eight inches in length. A beauty
if it would only live. Bahamas pix, the last with an isopod parasite on its
operculum.
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Chaetodon octofasciatus Bloch 1787, the Eight-banded Butterflyfish. Often
sold as a "misc." butterfly, this is a strict feeder on coral polyps...
rarely lives more than a few days. A juvenile in Pulau Redang, Malaysia, a
semi-adult in captivity and a more typical yellowish one in N. Sulawesi. |
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Chaetodon ornatissimus Cuvier 1831, the Ornate
Butterflyfish. Yet another obligate corallivore. Yes, a beauty, but does not
live in home fish tanks. Indo-west Pacific, Including Hawaiian Islands. To about
seven inches in length. Commonly offered, doesn't live. Adults in Hawai'i and
captivity by RMF.
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| Chaetodon oxycephalus Bleeker 1853, the Spot-Nape or
Pig-Face Butterflyfish. Like the very similar and commonly (mis)offered
Lined B/F, C. lineatus, this is a very large, poor-surviving
species in captivity. Indo-west distribution from the Maldives to Palau.
To ten inches. |

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| Chaetodon pelewensis
Kner 1868, the Sunset or Dot-Dash Butterflyfish. Very similar to the hardy
Spot-Banded Butterflyfish, Chaetodon punctatofasciatus (see in
"Good" Chaetodon section) but with oblique
body barring versus vertical. Southern Pacific Ocean area. To five inches
length overall. This one in the Cook
Islands. |
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Chaetodon plebeius Cuvier 1831, the Blue-Spot
Butterflyfish. Maldives eastward to the South Pacific (Fiji), where these images
were made. A beauty that is often sold in the trade and rarely lives for any
period of time to speak of. This image from Australia.
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Chaetodon quadrimaculatus Gray 1831, the Four-Spot
Butterflyfish. Found in the central to western Pacific, including Hawai'i. To
six inches long. A few specimens live and live, most die
"mysteriously" in aquarium conditions. In the wild, this species feeds
principally on Pocillopora coral polyps. Shown, juveniles in
Hawai'i, an adult in the Cooks.
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| Chaetodon rainfordi
McCulloch 1923, Rainford's Butterflyfish. Only from Australia's Queensland
coast up to New Guinea. A delicate beauty that is far too often offered in
the industry. To six inches
overall in length. Australian (Queensland) images of one, two and
four inch specimens. |
Chaetodon reticulatus
Cuvier 1831, the Reticulated Butterflyfish. Nice looking, and
"friendly" underwater toward divers, but dismal survival records
in captivity for this coral polyp eater. Found commonly in central and
western Pacific. To six inches total length. One in the Cooks, another in
N. Sulawesi.
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| Chaetodon semeion Bleeker 1855, the Dotted
Butterflyfish. A touchy species that is occasionally imported into the West... found in the Indo-west Pacific from Sri Lanka to the Tuamotus of
French Polynesia. This adult in northern Indonesia. |

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Chaetodon speculum Cuvier 1831, the Mirror or Oval-Spot
Butterflyfish. A shy species that lives in coral rich areas where it feeds on
same and other benthic invertebrates. To some seven inches in length. Eastern
Indian Ocean to western Pacific. Ones off of Bunaken, Sulawesi, Indonesia.
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Chaetodon striatus Linnaeus 1758, the Banded Butterflyfish. found in
the tropical west Atlantic south to Brazils coast. To six inches long. Yet
another generalized B/F species from the area that has a dismal captive
survival record. Bahamas pic.
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Chaetodon triangulum Cuvier 1831, the Triangular or Rummynose
Butterflyfish. Closely related to the western Pacific Chaetodon baronessa
in markings, feeding (coral polyps) and longevity in captivity (not). Found from
east Africa to the Andaman Sea.
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No pic... |
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Chaetodon trifascialis
Quoy & Gaimard 1824, Chevron Butterflyfish. This fish is way too often
offered in the trade, belying it's wide distribution, mid-Pacific to the east
coast of Africa and the Red Sea. Almost exclusively lives on eating Acroporid
polyps. To seven inches in length. One in the Red Sea, another two during the
day and night in Fiji.
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Chaetodon trifasciatus Park 1797, the Melon or Indian Ocean Redfin
Butterflyfish. Like the same named Redfin Butterflyfish from the Pacific
this is primarily a coral polyp feeder. Note the I.O. species much bluer
dorsal coloration To about six inches long in the wild. Two Indian Ocean
Butterflyfish, the first one in the
Seychelles, the other the Maldives |
 
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| Chaetodon vagabundus Linnaeus 1758, the Vagabond, Crisscross
Butterflyfish. In the wild feeds on anemones, coral polyps, worms and algae.
Compared with the similar Indian (Ocean) B/F (see above), Chaetodon
decussatus, this species does poorly in captivity. In the Andaman Sea,
and
one in Fiji in the South Pacific |
 
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| Chaetodon zanzibariensis Playfair 1866, the Zanzibar
Butterflyfish. East Africa to the Chagos Archipelago. Coral feeder. To five
inches overall length. |
No pic, sorry... will tag along on your next trip to the
Indian Ocean! |
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