Butterflyfish Codexery

Prognathodes aculeatus

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Prognathodes aculeatus

Williams, J. T.; Carpenter, K. E.; Van Tassell, J. L.; Hoetjes, P.; Toller, W.; Etnoyer, P.; Smith, M. · via Wikipedia: Prognathodes aculeatus · CC BY 2.5

In tropical West Atlantic waters, one finds the butterflyfish species known as Prognathodes aculeatus.[1] The banded longsnout butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus) is a species that can be mistaken for this one.[1]

Scientific classification

  1. KingdomAnimalia
  2. PhylumChordata
  3. ClassActinopterygii
  4. DivisionTeleostei
  5. OrderAcanthuriformes
  6. FamilyChaetodontidae
  7. GenusPrognathodes
  8. SpeciesPrognathodes aculeatus

Named by (Poey, 1860)

Close relatives

Other species of Prognathodes with a Codexery entry.

Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Prognathodes aculeatus (CC BY-SA 4.0) · order, family and genus agree with WoRMS AphiaID 273369 (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

Where the prognathodes aculeatus has been recorded

Where the prognathodes aculeatus has been recorded62 mapped locations from 20,951 GBIF occurrence records

Each dot is a place where the species has been observed and reported (20,951 records, half-degree grid) — not a modelled range. 3 inland records left out (institution coordinates).

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

Biology and range

The longsnout butterflyfish averages 2 inches in length and has a distinctive long snout.[2] This species is fairly common on natural and artificial reefs, usually at depths of 30 feet or more.[3] A stripe that is dusky to yellow in color extends nearly vertically from the top of the head down to the eyes.[2] Black is the typical color of the dorsal fin.[2]

Compared to many other butterflyfish, the longsnout butterflyfish tends to be far less social.[4] Foraging for invertebrates within crevices on deeper reefs is a common behavior.[4] Sea urchin tube feet and the tentacles of tube worms are part of its diet.[4] This species does not engage in cleaning parasites off other fish, a behavior seen in many other butterflyfishes.[4]

What the specialist sources record

The World Register of Marine Species lists Prognathodes aculeatus as an accepted species in the family Chaetodontidae, order Acanthuriformes, class Teleostei.[5] GBIF also accepts this species and places it in the order Perciformes, family Chaetodontidae.[6] GBIF holds 21,053 occurrence records for this taxon as of 7 October 2026.[6] The species was first described in 1860 by Felipe Poey y Aloy and Albert C. L. G. Günther in two separate reports.[7]

The only accepted scientific combination for this species is the one placing it in the genus Prognathodes, as originally assigned by Poey.[7] Sauvage provided another scientific name for this fish in 1880, but that name is now considered a synonym.[7]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Prognathodes aculeatus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: ; "Species Prognathodes aculeatus Poey 1860", FishWisePro, 1860 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Prognathodes aculeatus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Humann, Paul and Ned Deloach, Reef Fish Identification Florida Caribbean Bahamas New World Publications Inc., Jacksonville, Fl; pp. 32–33; Humann, Paul and Ned Deloach, Reef Fish Identification Florida Caribbean Bahamas New World Publications Inc., Jacksonville, Fl; pp. 32–33 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Prognathodes aculeatus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: ; Allen, G.R., R. Steene and M. Allen, 1998. A guide to angelfishes and butterflyfishes. Odyssey Publishing/Tropical Reef Research. 250 p.; (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Prognathodes aculeatus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Humann, Paul and Ned Deloach, Reef Fish Identification Florida Caribbean Bahamas New World Publications Inc., Jacksonville, Fl; pp. 32–33; Allen, G.R., R. Steene and M. Allen, 1998. A guide to angelfishes and butterflyfishes. Odyssey Publishing/Tropical Reef Research. 250 p.; ; Lieske, E. and R. Myers, 1994. Collins Pocket Guide. Coral reef fishes. Indo-Pacific & Caribbean including the Red Sea. Harper Collins Publishers, 400 p.; ; Lieske, E. and R. Myers, 1994. Collins Pocket Guide. Coral reef fishes. Indo-Pacific & Caribbean in en.wikipedia.org
  5. World Register of Marine Species, Prognathodes aculeatus (AphiaID 273369). CC BY 4.0. marinespecies.org
  6. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy and occurrence index, Prognathodes aculeatus (taxon key 2385596). CC BY 4.0 (backbone); counts are facts. gbif.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Prognathodes aculeatus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Poey, F. 1858-61 Memorias sobra la historia natural de la Isla de Cuba, acompañadas de sumarios Latinos y extractos en Francés. Tomo 2. La Habana. [Sections hav; Günther, A. 1860 (13 Oct.) Catalogue of the fishes in the British Museum. Catalogue of the acanthopterygian fishes in the collection of the British Museum. Squa; Günther, A. 1860 (13 Oct.) Catalogue of the fishes in the British Museum. Catalogue of the acanthopterygian fishes in the collection of the British Museum. Squa; Poey, F. 1858-61 Memorias sobra la historia natur en.wikipedia.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Prognathodes aculeatus (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)

Blackback butterflyfish Chaetodon melannotus, Blacktail butterflyfish Chaetodon austriacus, Bluecheek butterflyfish Chaetodon semilarvatus, Bluelashed butterflyfish Chaetodon bennetti

More in Butterflyfish

Bank butterflyfishPrognathodes dichrousChaetodontidaeJohnrandalliaParachaetodonPrognathodesChaetodonChaetodon argentatusChaetodon aureofasciatusChaetodon auripesBanded butterflyfishBlack butterflyfish

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.

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