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Updated 3/26/2023

Family Chaetodontidae, Butterflyfishes

Butterflyfishes are among the most attractive and familiar members of a coral reef ecosystem. Their presence or absence may be used to gauge the general health of a reef since many rely upon live coral as food, while others feed upon invertebrates, algae, or zooplankton. Butterflyfishes may be solitary, form aggregations, or pair-bond with a mate. Bold color patterns provide visual cues to other fish and provide some protection from predators.  There are 25 species of Butterflyfishes in Hawai'i, 123 throughout the world, of which four are endemic.  The Hawaiians referred to these as lauhau, lauwiliwili, or kīkākapu and did not eat them except during famine.

The Stripey is more closely related to Chubs but included here for convenience.

 

HAWAII - ENDEMIC

Chaetodon fremblii      endemic.gif (1686 bytes)

BLUESTRIPED BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Chaetodon miliaris    endemic.gif (1686 bytes)

MILLETSEED BUTTERFLYFISH

Chaetodon multicinctus    endemic.gif (1686 bytes)

MULTIBAND BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Chaetodon multicinctus x quadrimaculatusendemic.gif (1686 bytes)


HYBRID MULTIBAND FOURSPOT

Prognathodes basabei    endemic.gif (1686 bytes)

Prognathodes sp., Waikiki Aquarium

ORANGEMARGIN BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Chaetodon miliaris x tinkeri endemic.gif (1686 bytes)

HYBRID MILLETSEED TINKER

 


INDO-PACIFIC / HAWAII

Chaetodon citrinellus

CITRON or LEMON BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Chaetodon kleinii

BLACKLIP BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Chaetodon lunulatus

OVAL BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Chaetodon unimaculatus

TEARDROP BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Chaetodon quadrimaculatus

FOURSPOT BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Chaetodon lunula

RACCOON BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Chaetodon ephippium

SADDLEBACK BUTTERFLYFISH

Chaetodon reticulatus

RETICULATED BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Chaetodon ornatissimus

ORNATE BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Chaetodon trifascialis

CHEVRON BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Chaetodon auriga

THREADFIN BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Chaetodon lineolatus

LINED BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Hemitaurichthys polylepis

PYRAMID BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Hemitaurichthys thompsoni

THOMPSON'S BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Heniochus diphreutes

PENNANT BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Forcipiger flavissimus

FORCEPSFISH

 

Forcipiger longirostris

LONGNOSE BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Forcipiger longirostris

LONGNOSE BUTTERFLYFISH, dark morph

 

Roa excelsa

BROWN-BARRED BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Chaetodon tinkeri

TINKER'S BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Microcanthus strigatus

STRIPEY

 

 
 

INDO-PACIFIC

 
Chaetodon vagabundus

VAGABOND BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Chaetodon ulietensis

PACIFIC DOUBLE-SADDLE BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Chaetodon melannotus

BLACK-BACKED BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Chaetodon ocellicaudus

SPOT-TAIL BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Chaetodon semeion

DOTTED BUTTERFLYFISH

Chaetodon speculum

OVAL-SPOT BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Chaetodon plebeius

BLUE-SPOT BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Chaetodon bennetti

ECLIPSE BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Chaetodon rafflesii

LATTICED BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Chaetodon octofasciatus

EIGHTBANDED BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Chaetodon meyeri

MEYER'S BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Chaetodon adiergastos

PANDA BUTTERFLYFISH

Chaetodon mertensii

ATOLL BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Chaetodon xanthurus

CROSSHATCH BUTTERFLYFISH 

Chaetodon argentatus

 ASIAN BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Chaetodon baronessa

EASTERN TRIANGULAR BUTTERFLYFISH

Chaetodon pelewensis

DOT-DASH BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Chaetodon punctatofasciatus

SPOTBAND BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Chaetodon smithi

SMITH'S BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Chaetodon nippon

JAPANESE BUTTERFLYFISH

Chaetodon auripes

ORIENTAL BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Chaetodon daedalma

WROUGHT-IRON BUTTERFLYFISH

Chelmon rostratus

COPPERBAND BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Roa modestus

GOLD-BARRED BUTTERFLYFISH 

Coradion melanopus

TWOSPOT CORALFISH

 

Coradion chrysozonus

ORANGE-SPOTTED CORALFISH

 

Heniochus varius

HUMPHEAD BANNERFISH

 

Heniochus acuminatus

LONGFIN BANNERFISH

 

Heniochus singularius

SINGULAR BANNERFISH

 

Heniochus monoceros

MASKED BANNERFISH

 

Heniochus chrysostomus

PENNANT BANNERFISH

 

 


INDIAN OCEAN & RED SEA

Chaetodon falcula

SADDLEBACK BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Chaetodon paucifasciatus

ERITREAN BUTTERFLYFISH

Chaetodon semilarvatus

BLUECHEEK BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Chaetodon austriacus

BLACKTAIL BUTTERFLYFISH

Heniochus intermedius

RED SEA BANNERFISH

 

Chaetodon xanthocephalus

YELLOWHEAD BUTTERFLYFISH


TROPICAL EASTERN PACIFIC 
Johnrandallia nigrirostris

Cabo Pulmo

BLACKNOSED BUTTERFLYFISH

Prognathodes falcifer

Santa Catalina Island

SCYTHE BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Chaetodon humeralis

Cabo San Lucas

THREEBANDED BUTTERFLYFISH

 


WESTERN ATLANTIC

Chaetodon capistratus

FOUREYE BUTTERFLYFISH

Chaetodon ocellatus

SPOTFIN BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Chaetodon striatus

BANDED BUTTERFLYFISH

 

Chaetodon sedentarius

REEF BUTTERFLYFISH

Prognathodes aculeatus

LONGSNOUT BUTTERFLYFISH