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Related FAQs: Indonesian Butterflies,
Butterflyfish Identification,
Butterflyfish
Foods/Feeding/Nutrition, Butterflyfish
Compatibility, Butterflyfish
Behavior, Butterflyfish
Systems, Butterflyfish
Selection, Butterflyfish Disease,
Over to other Regional Accounts of Butterflyfishes: Hawai'i,
Cooks, Red Sea,
Maldives,
Related Articles: Butterflyfishes,
/Fishwatcher's
Guide Series
Butterflyfishes
of Indonesia
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by Bob Fenner |
Chaetodon |
Genus Chaetodon:
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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 assarius Waite 1905, the West Australian
Butterflyfish. A rare beauty outside the Land Down Under, where it's found
all along the west coast. Generalized feeder on algae and zooplankton. To
five inches total length. |
No photo (yet!) |
| 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 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. A
juvenile (about an inch and a half long) in N. Sulawesi, an Auriga B/F in
Hawai'i, and
a Red Sea one w/o the rear dorsal area eyespot. |
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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 (Roaops) burgessi
Allen & Starck 1973, Burgess' Butterflyfish. Deepwater in Philippines,
Sipadan, Australia, New Guinea. Not a great beauty, but much better than
the aquarium photo here. To five inches long. Photo by H RMF of one in
an aquarium. |
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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. A juvenile in Hawaii and adult in the Cooks
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Chaetodon collare Bloch 1787, the Pakistani, Red-Tail or
Collare Butterflyfish. Along the continental coast of the Indian Ocean Oman to
the Philippines in distribution. A delicate looking species that fares well in
general. Best shown and kept in pairs to groups. Image made in the Andaman Sea
off of Thailand.
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| Chaetodon decussatus, Cuvier 1831, Indian (Ocean)
Vagabond Butterflyfish. A hardy beauty not to be confused with its congener
loser from the wider Indo-Pacific, the Vagabond Butterflyfish, Chaetodon
vagabundus which rarely lives (see below). An Indian Vagabond
juvenile
in captivity, an intermediate in the Andaman Sea and an adult in N.
Sulawesi. |
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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. Aquarium, Fiji, and N. Sulawesi images.
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Chaetodon falcula Bloch 1793, Saddle-Back or
Falcula Butterflyfish. A hardy addition to fish only and very large reef systems
(to 8 inches long) if you can acquire initially undamaged specimens. Indian
Ocean from Andaman Sea to east coast of Africa. This one in the Andaman Sea.
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Chaetodon guentheri Ahl 1913, Gunther's Butterflyfish.
Found along the Wallace Line, from southern Japan to eastern Australia. To
five inches long. Aquarium image. |
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| Chaetodon guttatissimus Bennett 1832, the
Spotted Butterflyfish. Some folks rate this species higher for aquarium
use, but it takes a beating often in transit, especially its small mouth.
Tropical Indian Ocean. To five inches long. Generalized feeder on
invertebrates (including coral polyps), and algae. A juvenile and adult in
the Maldives. |
 
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Chaetodon kleini Bloch 1790, Klein's Butterflyfish.
Widespread from Hawai'i over to Africa's east coast. To five inches overall. A
hardy, but shy species that often perishes due to too much commotion and
competition in captivity. Below: A juvenile and adult in Hawai'i, an adult one Redang,
Malaysia.
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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 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, and a very good choice for eating pest Aiptasia anemones in reef
tanks, though it will consume coral polyps in some cases. Click on name
for more information, images. This one in the
Cook Islands, South Pacific.
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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 melannotus Bloch & Schneider 1801,
the Black-Backed Butterflyfish. To six inches, mainly 3-4. Widespread
distribution from Africa's east coast and Red Sea (pictured here) over to the
mid-Pacific. Hardy, though it does eat soft and hard coral polyps. Red Sea
images, 2 and 4" specimens.
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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 ocellicaudus Cuvier 1831, the Spot-Tail
Butterflyfish. A look-alike species for the more commonly offered
Black-Backed B/F, C. melannotus. Similar in habits, hardiness.
Centered in the other's distribution in the far western Pacific. This one
off of Pulau Redang, Malaysia. |
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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 rafflesi
Bennett 1830, the Latticed or Raffles' Butterflyfish. Indo-west Pacific
from eastern India to the Tuamotus. Omnivore that does eat anemones and
coral polyps. To six inches total length. Here in Fiji. |
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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 selene Bleeker 1853, the Yellow-dotted
Butterflyfish. Western Pacific; Philippines, New Guinea, Indonesia... To
16 cm. Found near steep drop-offs. Generally in pairs as adults, single
juveniles. Feed on benthic invertebrates. N. Sulawesi photo of an adult. |
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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 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 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. Aquarium adult pic. Click on name for more.
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| 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: at right: Juveniles of
two and three inches in Hawaii and the Cooks. |
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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 xanthurus
Bleeker 1857, the Pearlscale or Yellow-Tail (though it's more orange)
Butterflyfish. Tropical western Pacific around the Philippines and
Indonesia to Japan. A generalized feeder on benthic invertebrates and
algae. Note cross-hatch pattern compared with C. mertensii and the
Red Sea's C. paucifasciatus. Aquarium photo. |
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Genus Chelmon
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Chelmon rostratus (Linnaeus 1758), the Copperband
Butterflyfish or Beaked Coralfish. Most die within a week or two of capture from
trauma and starvation, dying "mysteriously" in the night. Due to
better conditions in the age of reef keeping, some folks are able to salvage
specimens, even hand feeding them. From the tropical western Pacific, to six
inches overall length.
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Genus Coradion:
| Coradion altivelis McCulloch
1916, the Highfin Coralfish. Indo-West Pacific. To six inches in length.
This one off of Heron Island, Australia's GBR. No ocellus and squarish
caudal mark denote this species. |
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| Coradion chrysozonus (Cuvier 1831), the Goldengirdled
Coralfish. Indo-Pacific; Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia to the
Philippines. To six inches in length. Off of Pulau Redang,
Malaysia and N. Sulawesi. An oval black caudal peduncle marking and single
ocellus denote this species. |
 
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| Coradion melanopus (Cuvier 1831), the Twospot
Coralfish. Western Pacific: Indonesia to Papua New Guinea and Bismarck
Archipelago. To 15 cm. in length. N. Sulawesi pix. Not two ocelli. |
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Genus Forcipiger: Both members of this genus occur in
Indonesia.
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Forcipiger flavissimus Jordan & McGregor 1898, Yellow
Longnose Butterflyfish, Forcepsfish. Wide variety of foods taken, rarely corals.
Widest distribution of B/Fs, from east coast of Africa to west coast of Central
America. To eight inches overall length. Hawaii and Maldives photos.
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Forcipiger longirostris (Broussonet 1782), Yellow Longnose,
Long Longnose Butterflyfish. With a longer snout than its congener and patch of
dark spots on the chest to distinguish the two. Also hardy and about the same
size. From east African coast to mid-Pacific. Dark color forms seasonally seen.
Bunaken, Indonesia and Hawai'i pix.
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Genus Hemitaurichthys:
| Hemitaurichthys polylepis (Bleeker 1857), the Pyramid (often
sold as H. zoster) Butterflyfish. Zooplanktivore, living in midwater and
feeding in shoals. Central and western Pacific, including Hawaiian Islands. To
seven inches in length. Aquarium and Fiji images.
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Hemitaurichthys zoster (Bennett 1831), the Black
Pyramid or Zoster Butterflyfish. Indian Ocean from Andaman Sea to Africa.
Zooplanktivorous, feeding in aggregations in midwater. Here in captivity
and the Andaman Sea.
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Genus Heniochus:
| Heniochus acuminatus (Linnaeus 1758), the Long-Fin
Bannerfish, or "Poor Man's Moorish Idol". (1) Widespread, central Pacific to east coast of Africa. Not in
Hawai'i. To ten inches overall length. Cleaners as juveniles. Andaman
Sea and Mabul, Malaysia images. |
 
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| Heniochus chrysostomus Cuvier 1831, Pennant
Butterflyfish.(1) Central to western Pacific distribution. To six inches long
in wild. Similar to H. varius, which is much more commonly offered
in the trade. One in Australian waters, another in Fiji, a third in N.
Sulawesi. |
  
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| Heniochus diphreutes Jordan 1903, Schooling
Bannerfish.(1) Similar to the "common Heni", H. acuminatus,
but with smaller mouth and more rounded breast area. Zooplanktivore that
excels in a large, un-crowded system. Cleaners as juveniles. This one in
Gili Air, Lombok, Indonesia. |
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| Heniochus monoceros Cuvier 1831, the
Masked Bannerfish.(2). To nine inches long, and "beefy" in profile.
Mid-Pacific to east African coast. Takes all foods with gusto. |
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| Heniochus pleurotaenia, Ahl 1923, the
Phantom Bannerfish.(2) The two horn-like projections on this species head are
definitive. To six inches overall length. Shy, needs plenty of hiding
places to feel comfortable in captivity. Northerly coasts, islands of the
Indian Ocean. This young individual in the Maldives. |
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| Heniochus singularius Smith &
Radcliffe 1911, the Singular Bannerfish. (2) Similar to H. monoceros,
but easily identified by its black mid-body band starting in front, versus
behind the dorsal fin. Indo-west and central Pacific.
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| Heniochus varius (Cuvier 1829), Humphead
Bannerfish.(2) Western and central Pacific; commonly shipped out of the
Philippines and Indonesia. Does eat coral polyps in the wild. This one off
of Gili Air, Lombok, Indonesia. |
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