Oval butterflyfish
Encyclopedia
The Oval Butterflyfish, Red-finned Butterflyfish or redfin butterflyfish (Chaetodon lunulatus) is a species
of butterflyfish
(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 Black-tailed Butterflyfish (C. austriacus) and the Melon Butterflyfish
(C. trifasciatus) and the Oval Butterflyfish
(C. lunulatus) are similar in coloration. The former has black caudal and anal fins, while the latter is an Indian Ocean
species and has a more conspicuous back patch below the dorsal fin
and a mainly yellow anal fin.
Together with the Black-tailed and Melon butterflyfishes and probably also the somewhat aberrant Arabian Butterflyfish (C. melapterus) it makes up the subgenus
Corallochaetodon. They are probably quite close to the subgenus called "Citharoedus" (that name is a junior homonym of a mollusc genus), which contains for example the Scrawled Butterflyfish
(C. meyeri). Like that group, they might be separated in Megaprotodon if the genus
Chaetodon
is split up.
The Oval Butterflyfish is found at depths between 2 and 20 m in coral
-rich lagoon
s and semi-protected seaward reef
s. Small juvenile
s are secretive and hide in coral
s. Growing to a maximum of 15cm long, the monogamous adults swim in pairs and may be territorial
and aggressive to other Chaetodon
. Oval Butterflyfish feed exclusively on coral polyps. They are oviparous.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of butterflyfish
Butterflyfish
The butterflyfish are a group of conspicuous tropical marine fish of the family Chaetodontidae; the bannerfish and coralfish are also included in this group. Found mostly on the reefs of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, there are approximately 120 species in 10 genera...
(family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Chaetodontidae). It is found in the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
from Eastern Indonesia to the Hawaiian islands. This is one species of a closely related group which includes the Blacktail butterflyfish
Blacktail butterflyfish
The Black-tailed Butterflyfish , also called Exquisite Butterflyfish, is known as Chaetodon austriacus by its scientific name. This species of butterflyfish is found in the Red Sea and around southern Oman only. Supposedly, a Black-tailed Butterflyfish was sighted in El Nido, Palawan by Dr...
which is found in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and the Melon butterflyfish
Melon butterflyfish
The Melon Butterflyfish, Chaetodon trifasciatus, is a species of butterflyfish . 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 Black-tailed Butterflyfish of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and the Oval Butterflyfish...
which is found in the Indian Ocean.
The Black-tailed Butterflyfish (C. austriacus) and the Melon Butterflyfish
Melon butterflyfish
The Melon Butterflyfish, Chaetodon trifasciatus, is a species of butterflyfish . 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 Black-tailed Butterflyfish of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and the Oval Butterflyfish...
(C. trifasciatus) and the Oval Butterflyfish
Oval butterflyfish
The Oval Butterflyfish, Red-finned Butterflyfish or redfin butterflyfish is a species of butterflyfish . It is found in the Pacific Ocean from Eastern Indonesia to the Hawaiian islands...
(C. lunulatus) are similar in coloration. The former has black caudal and anal fins, while the latter is an Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
species and has a more conspicuous back patch below the dorsal fin
Dorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...
and a mainly yellow anal fin.
Together with the Black-tailed and Melon butterflyfishes and probably also the somewhat aberrant Arabian Butterflyfish (C. melapterus) it makes up the subgenus
Subgenus
In biology, a subgenus is a taxonomic rank directly below genus.In zoology, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between the generic name and the specific epithet: e.g. the Tiger Cowry of the Indo-Pacific, Cypraea tigris Linnaeus, which...
Corallochaetodon. They are probably quite close to the subgenus called "Citharoedus" (that name is a junior homonym of a mollusc genus), which contains for example the Scrawled Butterflyfish
Scrawled butterflyfish
The Scrawled Butterflyfish, Chaetodon meyeri, is a species of butterflyfish . It is found in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean from East Africa to the Line Islands; north to the Ryukyu Islands; south to the Great Barrier Reef; including Micronesia and the Galapagos Islands.Growing to a maximum...
(C. meyeri). Like that group, they might be separated in Megaprotodon if the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Chaetodon
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.Several subgenera...
is split up.
The Oval Butterflyfish is found at depths between 2 and 20 m in coral
Coral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
-rich lagoon
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
s and semi-protected seaward reef
Reef
In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....
s. Small juvenile
Juvenile (organism)
A juvenile is an individual organism that has not yet reached its adult form, sexual maturity or size. Juveniles sometimes look very different from the adult form, particularly in terms of their colour...
s are secretive and hide in coral
Coral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
s. Growing to a maximum of 15cm long, the monogamous adults swim in pairs and may be territorial
Territory (animal)
In ethology the term territory refers to any sociographical area that an animal of a particular species consistently defends against conspecifics...
and aggressive to other Chaetodon
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.Several subgenera...
. Oval Butterflyfish feed exclusively on coral polyps. They are oviparous.