Eight-banded Butterflyfish, Chaetodon octofasciatus (Bloch, 1787)

ANIMAL SPECIES:Eight-banded Butterflyfish, Chaetodon octofasciatus (Bloch, 1787)

The Eight-banded Butterflyfish has a yellow to white body with eight black bands. The fish occurs in tropical marine waters of the Indo-West Pacific.

Identification

The Eight-banded Butterflyfish has a yellow to white body with eight black bands. It has a black stripe along the top of the snout and a clear caudal fin margin.

Size range

The species grows to 12 cm in length.

Distribution

The Eight-banded Butterflyfish is found in tropical marine waters of the Indo-West Pacific.

In Australia it is known only from offshore islands of north-western Western Australia.

Distribution by collection data

Biomaps map of Eight-banded Butterflyfish specimens in the Australian Museum collection.

What does this mean?

Behaviour and adaptations

Feeding and Diet

The Eight-banded Butterflyfish eats coral polyps.

Classification

Species:: octofasciatus
Genus:: Chaetodon
Family:: Chaetodontidae
Order:: Perciformes
Class:: Actinopterygii
Subphylum:: Vertebrata
Phylum:: Chordata
Kingdom:: Animalia

What does this mean?

References

Allen, G.R., Steene, R. & M. Allen. 1998. A Guide to Angelfishes & Butterflyfishes. Odyssey Publishing/Tropical Reef Research. Pp. 250.
Allen, G.R. 1993. Reef Fishes of New Guinea. A Field Guide for Divers, Anglers and Naturalists. Christensen Research Institute. No. 8. Pp. 132.
Myers, R.F. 1999. Micronesian Reef Fishes. Coral Graphics. Pp. 330.

Mark McGrouther , Collection Manager, Ichthyology
Last Updated: 27 August 2009

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