Spotfin butterflyfish (Chaetodon ocellatus)
Key facts
- Scientific name
- Chaetodon ocellatus
- Common name
- Spotfin butterflyfish
- Category
- Fish
- Family
- Chaetodontidae
- Genus
- Chaetodon
- Size
- 10–20 cm
- Depth
- 2–30 m
- IUCN status
- Least concern (LC)
- Danger level
- Harmless
- Habitats
- reef
- Behaviours
- pair-bonding
- Ocean zones
- Caribbean, Eastern Pacific
Description
Chaetodon ocellatus reaches 20 cm. Disc-shaped white body with vivid-yellow fins and borders, round black spot at the top of the dorsal ringed with white (ocellus), black eye bar. Lives in faithful pairs on Caribbean and Brazilian coral reefs between 2 and 30 m. Feeds on coral polyps, anemones and small invertebrates. Combines iconic visual traits of its cousins: ocellus of capistratus, yellow of ocellatus.
Photo of Spotfin butterflyfish
Frequently asked questions
- How big is the Spotfin butterflyfish?
- Spotfin butterflyfish (Chaetodon ocellatus) reaches 10–20 cm in length.
- At what depth can you find the Spotfin butterflyfish?
- Spotfin butterflyfish is found between 2–30 m deep.
- Is the Spotfin butterflyfish dangerous to divers?
- Danger level: Harmless.
- What is the conservation status of the Spotfin butterflyfish?
- IUCN status: Least concern (LC).
- Where can you find the Spotfin butterflyfish?
- Found in: Caribbean, Eastern Pacific.
Other species in the genus Chaetodon
- Chaetodon sedentarius - Reef butterflyfish
- Chaetodon fasciatus - Diagonal butterflyfish
- Chaetodon semilarvatus - Bluecheek butterflyfish
- Chaetodon humeralis - Threebanded butterflyfish
- Chaetodon auriga - Threadfin butterflyfish
- Chaetodon lunula - Raccoon butterflyfish
Other species in the family Chaetodontidae
- Forcipiger flavissimus - Longnose butterflyfish
- Johnrandallia nigrirostris - Barberfish
- Heniochus diphreutes - Schooling bannerfish
- Heniochus varius - Humphead bannerfish
- Forcipiger longirostris - Longnose Butterflyfish
- Prognathodes falcifer - Falcate Coralfish
Sources
- Taxonomy: WoRMS (AphiaID 159662)
- Photos: iNaturalist (CC BY-NC)
- Distribution: GBIF (taxonKey 2385448)
- Conservation: IUCN Red List
- Encyclopedia: Wikipedia