Chaetodon melapterus

Last updated

Chaetodon melapterus
Chaetodon melapterus 2.JPG
Status iucn3.1 LC.svg
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1) [1] (Globally)
Status iucn3.1 VU.svg
Vulnerable  (IUCN 3.1)(Persian Gulf)
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Chaetodontidae
Genus: Chaetodon
Subgenus: Chaetodon (Corallochaetodon)
Species:
C. melapterus
Binomial name
Chaetodon melapterus
Guichenot, 1863
Synonyms [2]

Chaetodon melapterus, the Arabian butterflyfish, blackfin butterflyfish, or black-finned melon butterflyfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae. It is found in the north western Indian Ocean.

Contents

Description

Chaetodon melapterus has an almost totally bright yellow body except for the posterior edge which is black. The dorsal fin, anal fin and caudal fin are also deep black. There are three vertical, black bands on the face, one on the snout around the mouth, one through the eye and one just behind the eye. [3] The dorsal fin contains 13 spines and 19–21 soft rays while the anal fin has 3 spines and 18–19 soft rays. This species attains a maximum total length of 13 cm (5.1 in). [2]

Distribution

Chaetodon melapterus is found in the north western Indian Ocean where it is found in the Persian Gulf, off the southern coasts Arabian Peninsula from the Gulf of Oman to the Gulf of Aden, and in the southern Red Sea. [1]

Habitat and biology

Chaetodon melapterus is found in shallow coastal reefs where it prefers areas with rich coral growth. They live in pairs but there have been occasional records of aggregations. It is an obligate corallivore, feeding exclusively on the polyps. It is an oviparous species which forms pairs to breed. [2] It lives at depths of between 2 and 16 metres (7 and 52 ft). [1]

Taxonomy

Chaetodon melapterus was first formally described in 1863 by the French zoologist Alphonse Guichenot with the type locality given as Réunion, [4] although this is likely to be in error as the species has not been recorded from the Mascarenes. [2] This species, together with the blacktail butterflyfish (C. austriacus), melon butterflyfish (C. trifasciatus), and oval butterflyfish (C. lunulatus) make up the subgenus Corallochaetodon. This group is probably quite closely related to the subgenus "Citharoedus" (the name is a junior homonym of a mollusc genus), which contains the scrawled butterflyfish (C. meyeri). These subgenera may be separated into the genus Megaprotodon if the genus Chaetodon is split up. [5] [6]

Utilisation

Chaetodon melapterus is unsuitable for keeping in aquaria because of its specialised diet of coral. It makes an occasional appearance in the trade. [1]

Related Research Articles

Blacktail butterflyfish Species of fish

The blacktail butterflyfish, also known as black-tailed butterflyfish or exquisite butterflyfish, is a species marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae. It is native to the western Indian Ocean but has reached the Mediterranean Sea as a Lessepsian migrant through the Suez Canal.

Chevron butterflyfish Species of fish

The chevron butterflyfish, also known as chevroned butterflyfish, triangulate butterflyfish or V-lined butterflyfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae. It has a wide Indo-Pacific distribution.

Melon butterflyfish Species of fish

The melon butterflyfish or the Indian redfin butterflyfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae. It is found in the Indian Ocean from East Africa to Western Java. This is one species of a closely related group which includes the blacktail butterflyfish of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and the oval butterflyfish which is found in the western Pacific, from eastern coasts of the Indonesian islands to Australia.

Vagabond butterflyfish Species of fish

The vagabond butterflyfish, also known as the crisscross butterflyfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae. It is found in the Indo-Pacific region.

Oval butterflyfish Species of fish

The oval butterflyfish, red-finned butterflyfish or redfin butterflyfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish belonging to family Chaetodontidae. It is found in the Pacific Ocean from Eastern Indonesia to the Hawaiian islands. This is one species of a closely related group which includes the Blacktail butterflyfish, which is found in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, and the Melon butterflyfish, which is found in the Indian Ocean.

Dotted butterflyfish Species of fish

The dotted butterflyfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish. a butterflyfish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae. It is found in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean.

Mirror butterflyfish Species of fish

The mirror butterflyfish or oval-spot butterflyfish is a species of butterflyfish. It is found in the Indo-Pacific region from Indonesia to Japan and south to the Great Barrier Reef and Papua New Guinea. The species has also been reported from Madagascar, Mauritius and Réunion.

Scrawled butterflyfish Species of fish

The scrawled butterflyfish, also known as Meyer's butterflyfish or the maypole butterflyfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae. It is found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Eightband butterflyfish Species of fish

The eight-banded Butterflyfish, also known as the eightband butterflyfish or eight-striped butterflyfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae. It is found in the Indo-Pacific region where it is associated with reefs.

Latticed butterflyfish Species of fish

The latticed butterflyfish, also known as Raffles’ coralfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae. It is found in the Indo-Pacific region.

Yellow-dotted butterflyfish Species of fish

The Yellow-dotted Butterflyfish is a poorly known marine ray-finned fish species, a butterflyfish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae. It is found in the Indi-Western Pacific Region.

<i>Chaetodon auripes</i> Species of fish

Chaetodon auripes, the oriental butterflyfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae. It is found in the western Pacific Ocean off Eastern Asia.

Mailed butterflyfish Species of fish

The mailed butterflyfish, also known as the reticulated butterflyfish or black butterflyfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae, This species is found on reefs in the central and western Pacific Ocean. It can be found in the aquarium trade.

Black butterflyfish Species of fish

The Black Butterflyfish, also known as the dusky butterflyfish, is a species of marine ray-finnedfish, a butterflyfish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae. It is native to the Pacific Ocean.

<i>Chaetodon wiebeli</i> Species of fish

Chaetodon wiebeli, commonly known as the Hong Kong butterflyfish, Weibel's butterflyfish or blackcap butterflyfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae. It is native to the Western Pacific Ocean.

<i>Chaetodon plebeius</i> Species of fish

Chaetodon plebeius, the blueblotch butterflyfish, bluespot butterflyfish, bluedash butterflyfish or grey-blotched butterflyfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae. It is native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

<i>Chaetodon gardineri</i> Species of fish

Chaetodon gardineri, Gardiner's butterflyfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae. It is native to the Indian Ocean.

<i>Chaetodon aureofasciatus</i> Species of fish

Chaetodon aureofasciatus, the golden butterflyfish, golden- banded butterflyfish, golden-striped butterflyfish or sunburst butterflyfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae. This coral eating species is found on shallow reefs in the western Pacific Ocean.

<i>Chaetodon leucopleura</i> Species of fish

Chaetodon leucopleura, the Somali butterflyfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae. It is found in the northwestern Indian Ocean.

<i>Chaetodon nigropunctatus</i> Species of fish

Chaetodon nigropunctatus, the black-spotted butterflyfish, is a species off marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish, belonging to the family Chaetodontidae. It is found in the north western Indian Ocean.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Pyle, R.; Rocha, L.A.; Craig, M.T.; Pratchett, M. (2010). "Chaetodon melapterus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2010: e.T165724A6102242. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T165724A6102242.en . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2019). "Chaetodon melapterus" in FishBase. December 2019 version.
  3. ↑ "Chaetodon melapterus". Saltcorner. Bob Goemens. 2012. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  4. ↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Chaetodon melapterus". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  5. ↑ Fessler, Jennifer L.; Westneat, Mark W (2007). "Molecular phylogenetics of the butterflyfishes (Chaetodontidae): Taxonomy and biogeography of a global coral reef fish family". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 45 (1): 50–68. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2007.05.018.
  6. ↑ Hsu, Kui-Ching; Chen, Jeng-Ping & Shao, Kwang-Tsao (2007). "Molecular phylogeny of Chaetodon (Teleostei: Chaetodontidae) in the Indo-West Pacific: evolution in geminate species pairs and species groups" (PDF). Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. Supplement Series. 14: 77–86. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-08-11. Retrieved 2021-02-19.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.