Scrawled butterflyfish
Encyclopedia
The Scrawled Butterflyfish, Chaetodon meyeri, is a species
of butterflyfish
(family
Chaetodontidae). 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 length of 20 cm (nearly 8 in), its body is whitish or blue-white with curved to oblique black bands on the sides. A yellow-edged black bar runs through the eye, another is on the snout.
It is a close relative of the Mailed Butterflyfish
(C. reticulatus) and the Ornate Butterflyfish
(C. ornatissimus). Together they make up the subgenus
called "Citharoedus", but as this name had already been used for a mollusc genus when it was given to the fish, it is not valid. They are probably quite close to the subgenus Corallochaetodon which contains for example the Melon Butterflyfish
(C. trifasciatus). Like these, they might be separated in Megaprotodon if the genus
Chaetodon
is split up.
The Scrawled Butterflyfish is found at depths between 2 and 25 m in coral
-rich areas of clear seaward and lagoon
reef
s. They feed exclusively on coral polyps.
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 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...
and 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 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 length of 20 cm (nearly 8 in), its body is whitish or blue-white with curved to oblique black bands on the sides. A yellow-edged black bar runs through the eye, another is on the snout.
It is a close relative of the Mailed Butterflyfish
Mailed butterflyfish
The mailed butterflyfish is a species of butterflyfish .-External links:*...
(C. reticulatus) and the Ornate Butterflyfish
Ornate butterflyfish
The Ornate Butterflyfish, Chaetodon ornatissimus, is a species of butterflyfish . It is found in depths down to 36 m....
(C. ornatissimus). Together they make 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...
called "Citharoedus", but as this name had already been used for a mollusc genus when it was given to the fish, it is not valid. They are probably quite close to the subgenus Corallochaetodon which contains for example 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). Like these, 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 Scrawled Butterflyfish is found at depths between 2 and 25 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 areas of clear seaward and 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,...
reef
Reef
In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....
s. They feed exclusively on coral polyps.