Chaetodon rainfordi

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Chaetodon rainfordi
ChaetodRainfordiMarkMShepherd.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Chaetodontidae
Genus: Chaetodon
Subgenus: Chaetodon (Discochaetodon)
Species:
C. rainfordi
Binomial name
Chaetodon rainfordi
McCulloch, 1923

Chaetodon rainfordi, Rainfords's butterflyfish, also known as the gold-barred butterflyfish or the Northern butterflyfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish, belonging to the family Chaetodontidae. It is found in the southwestern Pacific Ocean where it is associated with coral reefs.

Contents

Description

Chaetodon rainfordi may be distinguished by its colour compared to related species of fish. The basic colour of yellow with an orange bar, with dark edges, which runs through the eye and another thinner orange bar which goes through the base of the pectoral fin. There are then two blue-grey bands edged with yellow-orange on the body. [2] There is normally a black spot on the caudal peduncle. The gold bands on the body often found on each side of the wider diffuse dark bars. [3] The dorsal, anal and pectoral fins are yellow. [4] The dorsal fin contains 10-11 spines and 20-22 soft rays while the anal fin has 3 spines and 17-19 soft rays. This species attains a maximum total length of 15 centimetres (5.9 in). [5]

Distribution

Chaetodon rainfordi is found in the south western Pacific Ocean. It is found off southern Papua New Guinea, along the Great Barrier Reef off Queensland, south to the Solitary Islands and the Surgeons Reef off Red Rock, New South Wales. It is also found off Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea. [6]

Habitat and biology

Chaetodon rainfordi lives among coastal and offshore reefs, at depths between 5 and 20 metres (16 and 66 ft), [1] where there is a sparse growth of corals. [5] The juveniles live among branching corals. [6] It is an obligate corallivore, feeding only on coral polyps. [1] It is an oviparous species which forms pairs for breeding. [5]

Systematics

Chaetodon rainfordi was first formally described in 1923 by the Australian ichthyologist Allan Riverstone McCulloch (1885-1925) with the type locality given as Holbourne Island, off Port Denison, Queensland. [7] The specific name honours the amateur naturalist and viticulturist with the Queensland Agricultural Department, Edward Henry Rainford who provided specimens of fish for the Australian Museum, including type of this species. [8] This species is a close relative of the golden butterflyfish (C. aureofasciatus]]) and the eightband butterflyfish (C. octofasciatus). These species, together with the three-striped Butterflyfish (C. tricinctus), are high-bodied species which make up the subgenus Discochaetodon, of which C. octofasciatus is the type species. They appear to be close relatives of the subgenus Tetrachaetodon which includes for example the mirror butterflyfish (C. speculum) and together with these would probably go in Megaprotodon if Chaetodon is split up. [9] [10]

Utilisation and threats

Chaetodon rainfordi is rarely found in the aquarium trade [1] but it is difficult to keep in the aquarium due to its specialised diet. [6] This species relies on coral for food and there have been severe depletion of numbers where there has been climate-induced coral die offs. Its inshore habitat is also being lost where sedimentation caused by anthropogenic activities on land. In some places, it has become locally extinct. The IUCN classifies this species as Near Threatened. [1]

Related Research Articles

<i>Chaetodon</i> Genus of fishes

Chaetodon is a tropical fish genus in the family Chaetodontidae. Like their relatives, they are known as "butterflyfish". This genus is by far the largest among the Chaetodontidae, with about 90 living species included here, though most might warrant recognition as distinct genera.

Reef butterflyfish Species of fish

The reef butterflyfish. also known as the least butterflyfish, Atlantic butterflyfish, butterbun or school mistress, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish of the family Chaetodontidae. It is found in the western Atlantic Ocean.

Ornate butterflyfish Species of fish

The ornate butterflyfish, or clown butterfyfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish in the family Chaetodontidae.

Sunburst butterflyfish Species of fish

The sunburst butterflyfish, also known as the black-lipped butterflyfish, "blacklip butterflyfish" or Klein's butterflyfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae. This is an Indo-Pacific species of reef habitats.

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.

Pearlscale butterflyfish Species of fish

The pearlscale butterflyfish, also known as yellow-tailed butterflyfish, crosshatch butterflyfish or Philippines chevron butterflyfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae.

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 Ocean 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.

Bluelashed butterflyfish Species of fish

The bluelashed butterflyfish, also known as the eclipse butterflyfish, archer butterflyfish or Bennett's butterflyfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae, It is found in the Indo-Pacific.

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 mertensii</i> Species of fish

Chaetodon mertensii, the atoll butterflyfish, yellowback butterflyfish or Merten's butterflyfish, is a species of marine ray finned fish, a butterflyfish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae. It is found in the western Pacific Ocean.

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

Chaetodon falcula, the blackwedged butterflyfish or falcula butterflyfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish a butterflyfish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae. It is found in the Indian Ocean.

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

Chaetodon pelewensis, the dot dash butterflyfish, spotbanded butterflyfish or punctato butterflyfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae. It is found in the western Pacific Ocean.

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

Chaetodon guentheri, Günther's butterflyfish or the crochet 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 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 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.

Burgess butterflyfish Species of fish

Burgess' butterflyfish, also known as the black & white butterflyfish or black-barred butterflyfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae. It occurs in the western Pacific Ocean.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Myers, R. & Pratchett, M. (2010). "Chaetodon rainfordi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2010: e.T165717A6100594. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T165717A6100594.en . Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  2. ↑ Mark McGrouther (13 August 2019). "Rainford's Butterflyfish, Chaetodon rainfordi (McCulloch, 1923)". Australian Museum. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  3. ↑ "Chaetodon rainfordi". Reef Life Survey. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  4. ↑ "Chaetodon rainfordi". Saltcorner. Bob Goemans. 2012. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2019). "Chaetodon rainfordi" in FishBase . December 2019 version.
  6. 1 2 3 Bray, D.J. (2019). "Chaetodon rainfordi". Fishes of Australia. Museums Victoria. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  7. ↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Chaetodon (Chaetodon) rainfordi". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  8. ↑ Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara (21 July 2020). "Order ACANTHURIFORMES (part 1): Families LOBOTIDAE, POMACANTHIDAE, DREPANEIDAE and CHAETODONTIDAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  9. ↑ 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.
  10. ↑ 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. 14: 77–86. Archived 2007-08-11 at the Wayback Machine
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