Hooded butterflyfish (Chaetodon larvatus)
Source-cited species reference: taxonomy from WoRMS, biology from FishBase, occurrence map from GBIF, conservation from IUCN Red List, description from Wikipedia.
Chaetodon larvatus, commonly known as the hooded butterflyfish or orangeface butterflyfish (and with many other common names), is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae. It is found in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and has been recorded twice recently in the eastern Mediterranean Sea off Israel and Syria.
- Scientific name
- Chaetodon larvatus
- Authority
- Cuvier, 1831
- Family
- Chaetodontidae
- Order
- Acanthuriformes
- Maximum length
- 12 cm
- Depth range
- 3–12 m
- Habitat zone
- reef-associated
- Iucn red list
- Least Concern
- Gbif occurrence records
- 171
Classification (WoRMS)
Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Teleostei · Order: Acanthuriformes · Family: Chaetodontidae · Genus: Chaetodon.
Accepted name: Chaetodon larvatus · Authority: Cuvier, 1831 · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 218716.
Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Chaetodon karraf Cuvier, 1831; Gonochaetodon larvatus (Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1831).
Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=218716 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.
Biology and life history (FishBase)
Measured values published by FishBase for Chaetodon larvatus. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.
Maximum length: 12 cm · Common length: 12 cm · Depth range: 3–12 m · Habitat zone: reef-associated · Body shape: short and / or deep · Vulnerability index: 13.3 of 100 · Fishery importance: commercial · Aquarium trade: commercial.
FishBase notes: Usually seen in pairs, frequently in association with plate-like heads of Acropora coral. Feed mainly on coral polyps. (Ref. 4858). Territorial (Ref. 9710). Oviparous (Ref. 205). Form pairs during breeding (Ref. 205).
Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 12287) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Chaetodon-larvatus.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-23.
Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)
171 georeferenced occurrence records for Chaetodon larvatus are published through GBIF from 10 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 34 distinct locations from a sample of 171 records, omitting 10 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: Egypt (98); Saudi Arabia (39); Eritrea (13); Djibouti (10); Yemen (4); United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (2); Sudan (2); France (1); Israel (1); Syrian Arab Republic (1).
Marine regions with a valid WoRMS distribution record: Eritrean Exclusive Economic Zone; Somali Exclusive Economic Zone; Red Sea; Djiboutian Exclusive Economic Zone; Israeli part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin; Chinese Exclusive Economic Zone; Syrian part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin.
Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2385353) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2385353&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=218716 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-23.
Conservation status (IUCN Red List)
The IUCN Red List assesses Chaetodon larvatus Cuvier, 1831 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 165609) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/165609/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2385353) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2385353/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-23.
Description and natural history (Wikipedia)
It grows to a maximum size of 12 cm total length. The body is powder blue in colour with a pattern of narrow, white chevron-shaped bars. The head and front of the body are coloured intense red-orange. The back of the dorsal fin and the caudal fin are black.
The hooded butterflyfish is found in seaward and lagoon coral reefs. They usually swim around in pairs and are territorial. Normally this species feeds exclusively on the polyps of the tubular Acropora corals. However, given that it has been observed in the Mediterranean, where coral growth is limited, it may be able to adapt to a different diet.
The hooded butterflyfish is a far western sister species of the triangle butterflyfish (C. triangulum), which lives in the Indian Ocean, and C. baronessa, which inhabits the Indo-Pacific. Together these species form the subgenus Gonochaetodon. If Chaetodon is split up as some researchers propose, this group might go into Megaprotodon with other high-backed and square-bodied species, but its exact relationships are still not well known.
Source: Wikipedia: Chaetodon larvatus — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaetodon_larvatus (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.
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