Butterflyfish Codexery

Indian butterflyfish

Last updated

It is classified in the family Chaetodontidae and order Acanthuriformes according to the World Register of Marine Species.[1] The body of the Indian butterflyfish is yellow, marked by two wide black diagonal bands on its sides, and it has a black stripe through the eye that transitions to orange beneath it.[2][3]

Scientific classification

  1. KingdomAnimalia
  2. PhylumChordata
  3. ClassActinopterygii
  4. DivisionTeleostei
  5. OrderAcanthuriformes
  6. FamilyChaetodontidae
  7. GenusChaetodon
  8. GenusChaetodon
  9. SpeciesChaetodon mitratus

Named by Günther, 1860

Close relatives

Other species of Chaetodon with a Codexery entry.

Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Indian butterflyfish (CC BY-SA 4.0) · order, family and genus agree with WoRMS AphiaID 218723 (CC BY 4.0)

Conservation status

Least Concern (LC)

  1. LC▲ this species
  2. NT
  3. VU
  4. EN
  5. CR
  6. EW
  7. EX
Population trend
Not held in our sources — see the assessment
Assessment published
2010

Source: IUCN Red List assessment · GBIF copy of the Red List category

How big is it?

Size comparison: Indian butterflyfish and a personA 0.14 m long indian butterflyfish drawn to scale next to a 1.8 m tall person. Schematic shapes, not a likeness.0.14 m1.8 m

Largest length in the source, 0.14 m, next to a 1.8 m person.

Diagram: drawn by Codexery, schematic shapes to scale (not a likeness). Length: Wikipedia: Indian butterflyfish

Where the indian butterflyfish has been recorded

Where the indian butterflyfish has been recorded22 mapped locations from 40 GBIF occurrence records

Each dot is a place where the species has been observed and reported (40 records, half-degree grid) — not a modelled range.

Map: drawn by Codexery. Data: GBIF occurrence search (records CC0 / CC BY) · Natural Earth basemap (public domain)

Biology and range

The Fishes of Australia account notes it is widespread in the Indian Ocean, including Australian territories.[4] Bob Goemans' Saltcorner article lists its range as the Maldives, Reunion, Mauritius, and Christmas and Cocos-Keeling Islands.[3] This species is found at depths ranging from 22 to 80 meters, with a typical depth range of 50 to 68 meters.[5] Its habitat includes steep outer reef drop-offs, areas with rubble, and locations where black coral and sea fans are present.[5][3]

The Indian butterflyfish is oviparous and reproduces in mated pairs.[5] Albert Günther, a German-born British zoologist, provided the first formal description of this species in 1860, designating Mauritius as the type locality.[6]

What the specialist sources record

Bob Goemans' Saltcorner article states the species reaches 5 inches (12 cm) and inhabits depths of 70–250 feet (20–75 m).[3] The same source describes it as one of the hardiest butterflyfish to feed, yet often highly priced due to collection depths.[3] Goemans also notes it is bold and often aggressive towards tankmates, and cannot be kept with others in the same genus.[3] The Fishes of Australia account gives the etymology of the specific name mitratus as Latin for "wearing a headband," presumably referring to the bar through the eye.[4]

The GBIF database holds 61 occurrence records for this taxon as of 7 October 2026.[7]

References

  1. World Register of Marine Species, Chaetodon mitratus (AphiaID 218723). CC BY 4.0. marinespecies.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Indian butterflyfish" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Bob Goemans, "Chaetodon mitratus", Saltcorner, 2012; Bray, D.J., "Chaetodon mitratus", Fishes of Australia, 2015; Bob Goemans, "Chaetodon mitratus", Saltcorner, 2012 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Bob Goemans, "Chaetodon mitratus", Saltcorner, 2012. facts only, no text reused. saltcorner.com
  4. Bray, D.J., "Chaetodon mitratus", Fishes of Australia, 2015. facts only, no text reused. fishesofaustralia.net.au
  5. Wikipedia, "Indian butterflyfish" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: ; Pyle, R., "Chaetodon mitratus", 2010 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Indian butterflyfish" (CC BY-SA 4.0) en.wikipedia.org
  7. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy and occurrence index, Chaetodon mitratus (taxon key 2385496). CC BY 4.0 (backbone); counts are facts. gbif.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Indian butterflyfish (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

Related entries

Same family (Chaetodontidae)

Bank butterflyfish Prognathodes aya, Chelmon marginalis Chelmon marginalis, Chelmon muelleri Chelmon muelleri, Copperband butterflyfish Chelmon rostratus, Forcipiger longirostris Forcipiger longirostris, Hemitaurichthys multispinosus Hemitaurichthys multispinosus

More in Butterflyfish

Indian vagabond butterflyfishChaetodon larvatusChaetodon leucopleuraLined butterflyfishMailed butterflyfishMelon butterflyfishChaetodon mertensiiChaetodon mesoleucosMillet butterflyfishMirror butterflyfishChaetodon nigropunctatusChaetodon nippon

Test yourself

Three questions drawn from this entry’s sources. Pick an answer to check it.

1. To which biological family does the Indian butterflyfish belong?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Chaetodontidae.

2. In what year was the Indian butterflyfish first scientifically described?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is 1860.

3. To which genus does the Indian butterflyfish belong?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Chaetodon.

Answers checked against the source article

Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

Spotted an error? Know more?

Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced

Comments

Loading…
Open in the interactive codex →