Brownburnie
A drab butterflyfish found in the western Indian Ocean.
The brownburnie (Chaetodon blackburnii), also called Blackburn's butterflyfish or the rayed butterflyfish, is a marine fish in the family Chaetodontidae. It lives in the western Indian Ocean. Its body is mostly brownish-black, with a bright yellow head and front section, and a black vertical stripe across the eye. The dark color extends onto the dorsal and anal fins, while the pelvic fins are bright yellow. The dorsal fin has 16 spines and 21–23 soft rays; the anal fin has 3 spines and 17–18 soft rays. It reaches a maximum total length of 13 cm (5.1 in). The species is found along the East African coast from Kenya south to the Mbhashe River in South Africa's Eastern Cape, and also near the French Southern and Antarctic Lands in the Mozambique Channel, Madagascar, Mauritius, Rodrigues, and Réunion. It inhabits shallow rocky reefs and calm bays with limited coral growth, often alone or in pairs. It is omnivorous, feeding on benthic invertebrates like bivalves, soft coral polyps, crustaceans, and worms, as well as zooplankton. It is oviparous, with males and females mating in pairs. French naturalist Julien Desjardins first described it in 1836, with the type locality given as Mauritius. The specific name honors English jurist Edward Berens Blackburn, Chief Justice of Mauritius from 1824 to 1835 and president of the Société d'Histoire Naturelle de l'Ile Maurice. The brownburnie is rarely seen in the aquarium trade due to its comparatively drab coloration.
- Scientific name
- Chaetodon blackburnii
- Family
- Chaetodontidae
- Maximum total length
- 13 centimetres (5.1 in)
- Dorsal fin spines
- 16
- Dorsal fin soft rays
- 21-23
- Anal fin spines
- 3
- Anal fin soft rays
- 17-18
Lore & Background
The brownburnie was first formally described in 1836 by the French naturalist Julien Desjardins, with the type locality given as Mauritius. The specific name honours the English jurist Edward Berens Blackburn, who was the Chief Justice of Mauritius from 1824 to 1835 and president of the Société d'Histoire Naturelle de l'Ile Maurice.
The body of this species is mainly brownish black with the head and front part of the body being bright yellow with a black vertical bar running across the eye. The dark colour extends onto the dorsal fin and the anal fin while the pelvic fins are bright yellow. It attains a maximum total length of 13 centimetres.
The brownburnie inhabits shallow rocky reefs and calm bays with limited growth of coral. They are found either solitarily or in pairs. They are omnivorous and feed on benthic invertebrates such as bivalves, soft coral polyps, crustaceans and worms as well as zooplankton. It is an oviparous species in which the male and females mate as pairs.
Reader's Guide
The brownburnie is rarely seen in the aquarium trade because of its comparatively drab colouration. Its distribution in the western Indian Ocean extends along the East African coast from Kenya in the north to the Mbhashe River in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It has also been recorded from the French Southern and Antarctic Lands in the Mozambique Channel islands, Madagascar, Mauritius, Rodrigues and Réunion. Despite its subdued appearance, the species is ecologically significant as an omnivore that feeds on benthic invertebrates and zooplankton, and it reproduces through pair mating. Its description by Julien Desjardins in 1836 and its naming after Edward Berens Blackburn highlight its historical connection to Mauritius and the natural history society there. The brownburnie's limited presence in the aquarium trade underscores how aesthetic appeal often drives human interest in marine species, yet its role in its native reef ecosystems remains important.
Did You Know?
- The brownburnie is also known as Blackburn's butterflyfish or the rayed butterflyfish.
- It was first formally described in 1836 by French naturalist Julien Desjardins.
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