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Related FAQs: Cooks Island Butterflyfishes, Hawaiian Butterflyfishes, Butterflyfish Identification, Butterflyfish Foods/Feeding/NutritionButterflyfish Compatibility, Butterflyfish Behavior, Butterflyfish Systems, Butterflyfish Selection, Butterflyfish Disease,

Over to other Regional Accounts of Butterflyfishes: Hawai'i, Red Sea, Maldives

To: A Fishwatcher's Guide to the Fishes of the Cook Islands

 

Butterflyfishes of the Cook Islands

Bob Fenner

Chaetodon bennetti


Butterflyfishes for Marine
Aquariums

Diversity, Selection & Care
New eBook on Amazon: Available here
New Print Book on Create Space: Available here

by Robert (Bob) Fenner

Butterflyfishes, family Chaetodontidae. There are two more species of Butterflies found here than the Hawaiians, twenty-seven all told. They comprise the usual blend of aquarium suitable to terrible survivability. I'll go over them here accordingly, utilizing the sliding three level scale of "good", ones that more than half live three months, "medium" ones that only have live a month or so, and "bad" ones where most all are dead within a month. I'll leave out the "unknown" aquarium species here.

Good Cooks Butterflies:

Chaetodon auriga, the Threadfin. A great species throughout most of its range.

Chaetodon auriga Forsskal 1775, the Threadfin Butterflyfish. A great beauty and hardy aquarium specimen, though it will eat coral polyps and anemones. See other materials on this species by clicking on name. Widespread Indo-Pacific. An adult Auriga in the Cooks

Chaetodon ephippium, the Saddleback Butterflyfish. To a large size (9")

Chaetodon ephippium Cuvier 1831, the Saddleback Butterflyfish. To a large size (9") and too often collected too large for aquarium use (get one 3-4" best). Central and western Pacific. Very nice out of Hawai'i for use in the U.S. Broad feeder on benthic invertebrates including coral polyps. Here's one in the Cooks.

Chaetodon lunula, the Raccoon Butterflyfish. a very good choice for eating pest Aiptasia anemones in reef tanks, though it will consume coral polyps in some cases.

Chaetodon lunula (Lacepede 1803), the Raccoon Butterflyfish. Though not as attractive as its namesake in the Red Sea (C. fasciatus), the Indo-Pacific Raccoon is just as hardy images. This one in the Cook Islands, South Pacific.

Chaetodon mertensii, the Chevron or Merten's Butterflyfish. A common, but hardy and good-looking species.

Chaetodon mertensii Cuvier 1831, the Chevron or Merten's Butterflyfish. A common, but hardy and good-looking species. You may find the Indian Ocean variety of this species listed/sold as C. madagaskariensis... it's the same species. Tropical central Pacific to east African coast. To five inches long. Pictured: one in the Maldives, Indian Ocean and one in the Cooks,  South Pacific.

Chaetodon ulietensis, the Pacific Double Saddleback Butterflyfish. A Pacific version of the Falcula or Saddleback Butterflyfish (Chaetodon falcula) of the Indian Ocean.

Chaetodon ulietensis Cuvier 1831, the Pacific Double Saddleback Butterflyfish. A Pacific version of the Falcula or Saddleback Butterflyfish (Chaetodon falcula) of the Indian Ocean. Omnivorous eating habits, chowing down on many types of invertebrates and algae.. To about six inches in length. Click on name for more.

Medium Cooks Butterflies:

Chaetodon citrinellus, the Speckled Butterflyfish. A broad feeder of invertebrates, including corals.

Chaetodon citrinellus Cuvier 1831, the Speckled Butterflyfish. Aggressive in the wild, this is another broad feeder of invertebrates, including corals. Widely distributed and common, though never plentiful in the mid-Pacific all the way over to Africa. To five inches overall. One in the Cooks

Chaetodon unimaculatus, the Teardrop Butterflyfish. Sometimes good, other times too beat up to survive.

Chaetodon unimaculatus Bloch 1787, the Teardrop Butterflyfish. Often, too often imported from Indonesia, the Philippines and even Hawai'i... like the similar Indian Ocean species of the same common name this is an "iffy" fish that mainly perishes due to the rigors of human (mis)handling. Shown: a juvenile in the Cooks, an adult in Hawai'i.

Bad Cooks Butterflies:

Chaetodon bennetti, Bennett's Butterflyfish. Most all food consists of coral polyps

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. Image made in the Cook Islands.

Chaetodon flavirostris, the Black or Yellow-Faced Butterflyfish. Usually shy and non-feeding.

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.

Chaetodon lineolatus, the Lined Butterflyfish. A foot long beauty that eats corals, Anemones.

Chaetodon lineolatus Cuvier 1831, the Lined Butterflyfish. At a foot long, vying for largest 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. One in Hawai'i.

Chaetodon ornatissimus, the Ornate Butterflyfish. Yet another obligate corallivore.

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.

Chaetodon pelewensis, the Sunset or Dot-Dash Butterflyfish. Very similar to the hardy Spot-Banded Butterflyfish, Chaetodon punctatofasciatus.

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.

Chaetodon quadrimaculatus, the Four-Spot Butterflyfish. A few specimens live and live, most die "mysteriously".

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, a specimen in  the Cooks.

Chaetodon reticulatus, the Reticulated Butterflyfish. Dismal survival records in captivity for this coral polyp eater.

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.

Chaetodon semeion, the Dotted Butterflyfish. A touchy species that is occasionally imported into the West.

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.

Chaetodon trifascialis, Chevroned Butterflyfish. This fish is way too often offered in the trade.

Chaetodon trifascialis Quoy & Gaimard 1824, Chevroned 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. This one in the Red Sea.



Butterflyfishes for Marine
Aquariums

Diversity, Selection & Care
New eBook on Amazon: Available here
New Print Book on Create Space: Available here

by Robert (Bob) Fenner
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