WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Redfin Butterflyfish

Chaetodon lunulatus

Also known as: Coralfish, Lineated Butterflyfish Melon Butterflyfish, Oval Butterflyfish, Pacific Pin-striped Butterflyfish, Pinstripe Butterflyfish, Pin-striped Butterflyfish, Rainbow Butterflyfish, Red-striped Butterflyfish, Striped Butterflyfish

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2010
Adult
@epic · Cod Hole - Great Barrier Reef, Australia · July 20091 / 11
01

Overview

Found in pairs, over lagoons and semi-protected seaward reefs, rich in coral growth.
They feed solely on live corals.
Juveniles found hiding in the branches of small corals over lagoons.

Butterflyfishes have very fine hair like teeth that enable them to pick out small organisms inaccessible to most other fish for eating.
They thrive mainly on a diet of coral polyps, tentacles of featherdusters and Christmas-tree worms. As these food sources all zap back into their shells, butterflyfishes need to be able to hover motionless while picking at the coral and to dart swiftly over short distances to get the worm before it retracts. They do this by using their Pectoral fins as oars to brake, sprint, turn and even reverse.

02

How to identify

Pattern
stripes
Head & Mouth
eye stripe
Behaviour
pairs

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

03

Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Pacific Ocean
  • Country only · 11
LIVES IN

Found in pairs, over lagoons and semi-protected seaward reefs, rich in coral growth.

04

Adult photos 11

05

Discussion

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    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

    Deep dive

    Taxonomy

    1. kingdomAnimalia
    2. phylumChordata
    3. classTeleostei
    4. orderAcanthuriformes
    5. familyChaetodontidae
    6. genusChaetodon
    7. speciesChaetodon lunulatus

    SourcesFishBase

    06

    More in the family

    Butterflyfishes (Chaetodontidae)