Animal Species:Teardrop Butterflyfish, Chaetodon unimaculatus Bloch, 1787

The Teardrop Butterflyfish can be recognised by its colouration. The species occurs in shallow tropical marine waters of the Western Pacific.

Alternative Name/s

Pacific Teardrop Butterflyfish

Identification

The Teardrop Butterflyfish can be recognised by its colouration. The dorsal, anal and ventral fins are yellow. The lower sides are white. There is a black spot on the upper side and a black bar passing though the eye. A black line crosses the caudal peduncle and the adjacent dorsal and anal fins.

Size range

The species grows to 20 cm in length.

Distribution

The Teardrop Butterflyfish occurs in the Western Pacific. In Australia it is known form the north-western coast of Western Australia, around the tropical north (except for parts of the Arafura Sea and the Gulf of Carpentaria) and south to the central coast of new South Wales.

The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums. Click on the map for detailed information.  Source: Atlas of Living Australia.

Chaetodon unimaculatus

Distribution by collection data

Ozcam map of Teardrop Butterflyfish specimens in the Australian Museum.

What does this mean?

Feeding and Diet

Its diet includes hard and soft corals, marine invertebrates and filamentous algae.

Classification

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

What does this mean?

References

  1. Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
  2. Allen, G.R., Steene, R. & M. Allen. 1998. A Guide to Angelfishes & Butterflyfishes. Odyssey Publishing/Tropical Reef Research. Pp. 250.
  3. Allen, G.R. & R. Swainston. 1988. The Marine Fishes of North-Western Australia. A Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 201.
  4. Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
  5. Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437.
  6. Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.


Mark McGrouther , Collection Manager, Ichthyology
Last Updated:

Tags Teardrop, Butterflyfish, Teardrop Butterflyfish, Chaetodon, unimaculatus, yellow, white, black, 'normal fish', 10 cm - 30 cm, dots/spots, stripes or bands, eye-like spot, coastal, marine, adult,