Black butterflyfish
| Black butterflyfish | ||||||||||||
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Black butterflyfish ( Chaetodon flavirostris ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Chaetodon flavirostris | ||||||||||||
| Günther , 1874 |
The black butterflyfish ( Chaetodon flavirostris ) occurs in the southern tropical Pacific from the east coast of Australia to the subtropical Pitcairn archipelago at depths of one to 20 meters. It is very common on the southern Great Barrier Reef and Lord Howe Island .
features
It becomes up to 20 centimeters long and is colored gray on the sides, older animals can also be blackish. The head is yellow or orange in front of the eyes, the muzzle is white. The dorsal, caudal, and anal fins are mostly yellow, with a noticeable orange stripe and dark edges. The edge of the caudal fin is transparent. Young fish have a noticeable dark eye-spot in the back of the dorsal fin. Her head is white with a thick black band over her eyes. The ventral fins of juvenile fish are yellow, those of adult fish are black. Older fish have a black hump on their foreheads.
Fin formula : Dorsal XII – XIII / 24–27, Anale III / 20–21.
Way of life
Black butterfly fish usually live in pairs on oceanic, coral-rich or algae-covered coral and rock reefs. They live in small groups near Lord Howe Island. Young fish tend to be found near the coast in bays and estuaries . Black butterflyfish feed on algae, coral polyps, and small, bottom-dwelling, invertebrates.
literature
- Rudie H. Kuiter , Helmut Debelius : Butterfly fish, Chaetodon . Ulmer Verlag, 2003, ISBN 3-8001-4243-0
- Roger C. Steene: Butterfly and Angelfish, Volume 1 . Mergus Verlag, 1977, ISBN 3-88244-001-5
Web links
- Black butterflyfish on Fishbase.org (English)
- Chaetodon flavirostris inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013.1. Listed by: Myers, R. & Pratchett, M., 2010. Retrieved October 8, 2013.