The butterflyfish are a group of conspicuous tropical marine fish of the family Chaetodontidae; the bannerfish and coralfish are also included in this group. The approximately 129 species in 12 genera are found mostly on the reefs of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. A number of species pairs occur in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, members of the huge genus Chaetodon.
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.
The raccoon butterflyfish, also known as the crescent-masked butterflyfish, lunule butterflyfish, halfmoon butterflyfish, moon butterflyfish, raccoon butterfly, raccoon, raccoon coralfish, and redstriped 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.
The millet butterflyfish is a species of butterflyfish in the family Chaetodontidae. Other common names include the lemon butterflyfish and the millet-seed butterflyfish. It is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and the Johnston Atoll, where it is found at depths down to 250 m (820 ft). Although it has a limited range, it is common around Hawaii, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed its conservation status as being of "least concern".
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.
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.
The doublesash butterflyfish,, also known as the fourbanded butterflyfish or Marley’s butterflyfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae. It is found in the southwestern Indian Ocean and the extreme southwestern Atlantic Ocean off southern Africa.
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.
The peppered butterflyfish is a species marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish from the. It is found in the Indian Ocean.
The spot-banded butterflyfish or spotband butterflyfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae. It is from the western Pacific Ocean.
Prognathodes falcifer, the northern scythemarked butterflyfish or northern scythe butterflyfish, is a species of butterflyfish found at rocky reefs in the tropical Eastern Pacific, where found at depths of 3–270 metres (9.8–885.8 ft) off southern California, southern Baja California, Guadalupe Island, San Benito Island and Revillagigedo Islands. In the past it also included populations off Central and South America, but in 1995 these were described as a separate species, P. carlhubbsi. Compared to that species, P. falcifer has whitish-grey belly and flanks, the black line through the eye is paler and less distinct, and the angle of the inverted black "V" on the side is shallower.
Prognathodes carlhubbsi, the southern scythemarked butterflyfish or southern scythe butterflyfish, is a species of butterflyfish found at rocky reefs in the tropical Eastern Pacific, where found at depths of 12–270 metres (39–886 ft) at the Galápagos Islands, Cocos Island, Malpelo Island, and off northwestern Peru. Until P. carlhubbsi was described as a separate species in 1995, populations in these regions were included in P. falcifer. When separated, the true P. falcifer is restricted to more northernly regions, and it has whitish-grey belly and flanks, the black line through the eye is paler and less distinct, and the angle of the inverted black "V" on the side is shallower.
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.
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.
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.
The West Australian butterflyfish, also known as the Western butterflyfish or assarius butterflyfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae. It is native to the west coast of Australia.
Prognathodes basabei, the orange margin butterflyfish, is a species of butterflyfish, a marine ray-finned fish in the family Chaetodontidae. It is found in Hawaii.
Prognathodes geminus, the twin butterflyfish, is a species of butterflyfish, a marine ray-finned fish in the family Chaetodontidae. It is found in the western-central Pacific, around Caroline Island and Palau Island.
Prognathodes guezei, or Gueze's butterflyfish, is a species of butterflyfish, a marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae. It is found in the Western Indian Ocean, from Réunion Island, and Mauritius to the Comoros Islands.
Randall Kosaki is a research ecologist at the NOAA Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. His expertise is in the behavioral ecology, taxonomy, and biogeography of Pacific coral reef fishes.
