Many-spined butterflyfish (Hemitaurichthys multispinosus)

Classification (WoRMS)

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

Accepted name: Hemitaurichthys multispinosus · Authority: Randall, 1975 · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 277573.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Hemitaurichthys multispinus Burgess & Randall, 1978.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=277573 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

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

Maximum length: 20.799999237060547 cm · Habitat zone: reef-associated · Body shape: short and / or deep · Vulnerability index: 10 of 100 · Aquarium trade: never/rarely.

FishBase notes: Inhabit seaward reefs (Ref. 9710); apparently a deep dweller, collected and observed only on a small section of a well-developed coral reef ('The Bear', off Gannett Ridge, north side of Pitcairn); collected with spears and rotenone (Ref. 4858). Feed on zooplankton. Oviparous (Ref. 205). Form pairs during breeding (Ref. 205).

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 25435) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Hemitaurichthys-multispinosus.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Conservation status (IUCN Red List)

The IUCN Red List assesses Hemitaurichthys multispinosus Randall, 1975 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 165617) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/165617/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2385642) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2385642/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-25.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

The many-spined butterflyfish is a rather drab uniform grey colour. It has 14-16 spines in its dorsal fin and 5 spines in the anal fin. The maximum recorded length of this species is 20.8 cm.

The many-spined butterflyfish is found only around a few island groups in the southern Pacific Ocean. It has been recorded from the British overseas territory of Pitcairn Island, Easter Island in Chile and, a single island in the Austral Islands, Rurutu, in French Polynesia.

The many-spined butterflyfish occurs on deep seaward coral reefs where it aggregates into schools varying in size from small to large in the middle of the water column at depths between 30 and 50 m. It feeds on plankton. It is an oviparous species in which the males and females form pairs for breeding.

The many-spined butterflyfish was first formally described in 1975 by the American ichthyologist John Ernest Randall (1924-2020) with the type locality given as the Patch reef off the Gannet Ridge on the northern side Pitcairn Island.

The many-spined butterflyfish is almost unknown in the aquarium trade. Local fishermen collect this species for food using spears and the piscicide rotenone.

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