Mailed butterflyfish (Chaetodon reticulatus)

Classification (WoRMS)

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

Accepted name: Chaetodon reticulatus · Authority: Cuvier, 1831 · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 273359.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Chaetodon recticulatus Cuvier, 1831; Chaetodon superbus Lesson, 1831; Chaetodon superbus Broussonet, 1831; Citharoedus reticulatus (Cuvier, 1831).

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=273359 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

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

Maximum length: 18 cm · Depth range: 0–40 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: Relatively common on exposed seaward reefs; occasionally on shallow lagoon reefs in areas of rich coral growth and clear water. Juveniles in protected coral areas (Ref. 48636). Benthopelagic (Ref. 58302). In pairs in Indonesia but schools in some Pacific locations (Ref. 48636).

Often in pairs during breeding and feed mainly on scleractinian coral polyps. Easily approached (Ref. 9710). Oviparous (Ref. 205), monogamous (Ref. 52884). Minimum depth reported taken from Ref. 128797.

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 5574) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Chaetodon-reticulatus.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

6,920 georeferenced occurrence records for Chaetodon reticulatus are published through GBIF from 28 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 165 distinct locations from a sample of 3,000 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: American Samoa (2,992); French Polynesia (1,055); Northern Mariana Islands (660); Guam (344); United States Minor Outlying Islands (338).

The full country table, WoRMS marine regions and the sampling notes are on this species' Distribution page.

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2385444) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2385444&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=273359 (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 reticulatus Cuvier, 1831 as Data Deficient (code DD). 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 165713) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/165713/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2385444) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2385444/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-25.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

The mailed butterflyfish is a relatively dull-coloured species of butterflyfish and it has a mainly blackish body with light grey centres to the scales and a pale back. It has a broad vertical band with yellow edges which runs through the eye with a broad, white vertical band behind that. The dorsal fin is white, the anal fin. The caudal peduncle is black, while the caudal fin is whitish blue with a yellow band on the margin which itself has a black submargin.

The tail of juveniles is transparent. The dorsal fin has 12-13 spines and 23-29 soft rays, while the anal fin has 3 spines and 20-22 soft rays. This species attains a maximum total length of 18 cm.

Distribution

The mailed butterflyfish has a wide distribution in the western central Pacific, and it is found from Taiwan and the Philippines through Polynesia as far as Hawaii, the Marquesas Islands and the Pitcairn Islands. It extends north as far as the Ryukyu Islands south to New Caledonia. In Australia, it is found on the Great Barrier Reef with juveniles as far south as the Solitary Islands.

Habitat and biology

The mailed butterflyfish is a relatively common species of exposed seaward reefs, but it may also be found in sheltered lagoon areas, where there is a rich growth of corals and clear water. The juveniles prefer more protected waters than the adults.

It is normally encountered in pairs, but schools have been recorded. These fish live at depths between 1 and 30 m and are obligate corallivores that feed mainly on the species in the genus Acropora. This species is oviparous and they breed in monogamous pairs.

Taxonomy

The mailed butterflyfish was first formally Species description in 1831 by the French anatomist Georges Cuvier, with the type locality given as Tahiti. It is a close relative of the ornate butterflyfish (C. ornatissimus) and the scrawled butterflyfish (C. meyeri).

Together they make up the subgenus called "Citharoedus", but as this name had already been used for the mollusc genus when given to the fish, it is invalid. They are probably close to the subgenus Corallochaetodon, which contains the Melon Butterflyfish (C. trifasciatus). Like these, they might be separated into Megaprotodon if the genus Chaetodon is split up.

Utilisation

The mailed butterflyfish occasionally appears in the aquarium trade but its specialised diet means that captive specimens frequently starve to death.

Source: Wikipedia: Mailed butterflyfish — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mailed_butterflyfish (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.