Blackfin coralfish (Chelmon muelleri)

Classification (WoRMS)

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

Accepted name: Chelmon muelleri · Authority: Klunzinger, 1879 · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 278683.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Chelmo muelleri Klunzinger, 1879; Chelmo Mülleri Klunzinger, 1879; Chelmon mülleri Klunzinger, 1879.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=278683 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

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

Maximum length: 20.5 cm · Depth range: 2–10 m · Habitat zone: reef-associated · Body shape: short and / or deep · Vulnerability index: 10.5 of 100 · Fishery importance: commercial · Aquarium trade: commercial.

FishBase notes: Prefer algae covered and mud bottoms areas of estuaries and coastal reefs (Ref. 9710). Usually occur in pairs. Feed on small benthic invertebrates (Ref. 9710). Oviparous (Ref. 205). Form pairs during breeding (Ref. 205).

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 6651) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Chelmon-muelleri.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

331 georeferenced occurrence records for Chelmon muelleri are published through GBIF from 3 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 84 distinct locations from a sample of 331 records, omitting 21 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: Australia (288); Greece (41); Indonesia (2).

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 5209918) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=5209918&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=278683 (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 Chelmon muelleri Klunzinger, 1879 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 165660) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/165660/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 5209918) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/5209918/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-25.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

Chelmon muelleri is a long-snouted species of butterflyfish which has a silvery white background colour to the body, marked with four wide brown vertical bars and a large black ocellus at the base of the posterior dorsal fin. The dorsal fin contains 9-10 spines and 26-30 soft rays while the anal fin has 3 spines and 18-21 soft rays. This species attains a total length of 20.5 cm.

Chelmon muelleri is endemic to Australia from the Kimberley Island groups in Western Australia to the southern Great Barrier Reef in Queensland.

Chelmon muelleri is found on shallow coastal reefs with very little cover of live coral, where the seabed consists of mud or silt or there is extensive cover of algae. It also occurs in estuaries.

It can be found as deep as 20 m. The adult fish are normally observed in pairs, although juveniles are solitary. It is a carnivorous species which has a diet consisting of worms, clams, tunicates, and crustaceans.

Chelmon muelleri was first formally described in 1879 by the German zoologist Carl Benjamin Klunzinger (1834-1914) with the type locality given as Port Denison in Queensland. The specific name honours the German physician, geographer and botanist Ferdinand von Mueller (1825-1896).

Chelmon muelleri rarely appears in the aquarium trade and when it does it commands high prices.

Source: Wikipedia: Chelmon muelleri — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelmon_muelleri (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.