Butterflyfish Codexery

Black butterflyfish

A dark butterflyfish with yellow fins and a white mouth.

Last updated

Black butterflyfish

Richard Ling from NSW, Australia · via Wikipedia: Black butterflyfish · CC BY-SA 2.0

The black butterflyfish is found in the southern Pacific Ocean from the Great Barrier Reef and New South Wales east to Easter Island, including many island groups.[1] Adults are usually seen singly or in pairs, but may form larger aggregations at locations such as Lord Howe Island.[2] The Easter Island occurrence is considered to be from a vagrant individual.[1] In lagoons and on seaward reefs, this fish lives at depths from 2 to 20 m in rocky zones that have good coral and algae cover.[3]

Protected inner reefs are the habitat for juvenile individuals.[3] Algae, coral, and small benthic invertebrates make up the omnivorous diet of the black butterflyfish.[4] As an oviparous species, it reproduces in mated pairs.[4]

Scientific classification

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

Named by Günther, 1874

Close relatives

Other species of Chaetodon with a Codexery entry.

Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Black butterflyfish (CC BY-SA 4.0) · order, family and genus agree with WoRMS AphiaID 273337 (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 black butterflyfish has been recorded

Where the black butterflyfish has been recorded91 mapped locations from 3,286 GBIF occurrence records; marked places: Pacific Ocean, Lord Howe Island, Easter IslandPacific OceanLord Howe IslandEaster Island

Each dot is a place where the species has been observed and reported (3,286 records, half-degree grid) — not a modelled range. 15 inland records left out (institution coordinates). 1 isolated far-off record not drawn.

Map: drawn by Codexery. Data: GBIF occurrence search (records CC0 / CC BY) · Natural Earth basemap (public domain) · place coordinates: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

What the specialist sources record

The Fishes of Australia account notes that the specific name flavirostris comes from Latin for "yellow snout", referring to the yellow-orange band that encircles the snout.[2] The Saltcorner guide states that this species is not reef tank suitable and is likely only suitable for fish-only tanks.[5] The same source recommends a meaty diet of live fortified brine shrimp, black worms, and frozen meaty foods offered several times daily.[5] The Saltcorner guide also notes that juveniles acclimate more easily to aquarium life than do adults.[5]

The Reef Life Survey record gives a sea temperature range of 17.8-29.2°C and a depth range of 2-30 m.[6] The World Register of Marine Species lists the environment as marine and brackish.[7] GBIF holds 3,356 occurrence records for this taxon as of October 2026.[8]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Black butterflyfish" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Myers, R.F., "Chaetodon flavirostris", 2010; "Chaetodon flavirostris", Fishes of Australia, 2018 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  2. "Chaetodon flavirostris", Fishes of Australia, 2018. facts only, no text reused. fishesofaustralia.net.au
  3. Wikipedia, "Black butterflyfish" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Myers, R.F., "Chaetodon flavirostris", 2010 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Black butterflyfish" (CC BY-SA 4.0) en.wikipedia.org
  5. "Chaetodon flavirostris", Saltcorner, 2012. facts only, no text reused. saltcorner.com
  6. "Chaetodon flavirostris", Reef Life Survey. facts only, no text reused. reeflifesurvey.com
  7. World Register of Marine Species, Chaetodon flavirostris (AphiaID 273337). CC BY 4.0. marinespecies.org
  8. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy and occurrence index, Chaetodon flavirostris (taxon key 2385545). 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 Black 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 ayaChelmon marginalis Chelmon marginalisChelmon muelleri Chelmon muelleriCopperband butterflyfish Chelmon rostratusForcipiger longirostris Forcipiger longirostrisHemitaurichthys multispinosus Hemitaurichthys multispinosus

Named in this entry

Genus

More in Butterflyfish

ChaetodontidaeJohnrandalliaParachaetodonPrognathodesChaetodonChaetodon argentatusChaetodon aureofasciatusChaetodon auripesBanded butterflyfishBlackback butterflyfishBlacktail butterflyfishBluecheek butterflyfish

Test yourself

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

1. To which genus does the black butterflyfish belong?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Chaetodon.

2. What is the scientific name of the black butterflyfish?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Chaetodon flavirostris.

3. Who first scientifically described the black butterflyfish?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Albert Günther.

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.

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