Asian butterflyfish (Chaetodon argentatus)

Classification (WoRMS)

Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Teleostei · Order: Acanthuriformes · Family: Chaetodontidae · Genus: Chaetodon.

Accepted name: Chaetodon argentatus · Authority: Smith & Radcliffe, 1911 · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 273324.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Anisochaetodon argentatus (Smith & Radcliffe, 1911).

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=273324 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

Measured values published by FishBase for Chaetodon argentatus. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.

Maximum length: 20 cm · Depth range: 5–20 m · Habitat zone: reef-associated · Body shape: short and / or deep · Vulnerability index: 10 of 100 · Fishery importance: minor commercial · Aquarium trade: commercial.

FishBase notes: Inhabit rocky areas and coral reefs. Often in pairs or groups (Ref. 9710). Oviparous (Ref. 205). Form pairs during breeding (Ref. 205).

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 6665) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Chaetodon-argentatus.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

108 georeferenced occurrence records for Chaetodon argentatus are published through GBIF from 4 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 37 distinct locations from a sample of 108 records, omitting 3 inland records that carry an institution's coordinates rather than a collection site; it shows where the species has been observed and reported, not a modelled range.

Most records by country or area: Japan (51); Chinese Taipei (43); Philippines (13); Australia (1).

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2385518) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2385518&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=273324 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Conservation status (IUCN Red List)

The IUCN Red List assesses Chaetodon argentatus Smith & Radcliffe, 1911 as Least Concern (code LC). No trend, population estimate or threat analysis is given here, because none is available from this source without the Red List API; follow the source link for the full assessment, including its date.

Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (taxon 165663) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/165663/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2385518) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2385518/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-25.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

Chaetodon argentatus has a silver coloured body which is marked by a mesh of diagonal black lines creating a net like pattern. There are also two black saddle marks with a black vertical band at the rear of the body running from the soft rayed part of the dorsal fin to the equivalent part of the anal fin. There are 13-14 spines and 21-22 soft rays in the dorsal fin while the anal fin contains 3 spines and 15-16 soft rays. This species attains a maximum total length of 20 cm.

Chaetodon argentatus is found in the Western Pacific where it is distributed from the Ryukyu and Izu Islands of southern Japan south to the northern Philippines and east to Taiwan.

Chaetodon argentatus can be found over the outer slopes of coral or rocky reefs and drop-offs. Off southern Japan it lives over rocky areas, but in the more southerly parts of its distribution it has an association with coral reefs.

They are typically observed in pairs or small schools. It is an oviparous species which forms pairs to breed. These fish are omnivorous and feed on filamentous algae, crustaceans, worms, sponges, bivalves, soft and stony corals, hydroids and other invertebrates.

Chaetodon argentatus was first formally described in 1911 by the American ichthyologists Hugh McCormick Smith (1865-1941) and Lewis Radcliffe (1880-1950) with the type locality given as Agojo Point on the Catanduanes Islands off southern Luzon Island in the Philippines. It has hybridised in the wild, off southern Japan, with the crosshatch butterflyfish (Chaetodon xanthurus).

Chaetodon argentatus is uncommon in the aquarium trade outside Japan, although relatively easy to maintain in an aquarium its comparatively muted colouration means it is not as popular as its congeners.

Source: Wikipedia: Chaetodon argentatus — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaetodon_argentatus (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.