The Great Fiji Butterflyfish Count

Chaetodon bennetti Cuvier, 1831

Family: Chaetodontidae (Butterflyfishes)

Chaetodon bennetti, Chaetodontidae, Bluelashed butterflyfish.

Order: Perciformes (perch-likes)
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
FishBase name: Bluelashed butterflyfish

Max. size: 20.0 cm TL (male/unsexed; Ref. 5372)

Bennett's butterflyfish, Fiji
Bennett’s butterflyfish, Fiji

Environment: reef-associated; non-migratory; marine; depth range 1 – 30 m

Climate: tropical; 28°N – 28°S

Importance: fisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: commercial; price category: not marketed/unknown

Resilience: High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months(Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Vulnerability: Low vulnerability (10.00), based on Lmax and K (Ref. 59153)

Distribution: Gazetteer Indo-Pacific: East Africa to the Pitcairn Group, north to Japan, south to Lord Howe and Rapa islands.

Morphology: Dorsal spines (total): 13 – 14; Dorsal soft rays (total): 15 – 17; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 14 – 16. Body yellow and large black blotch with blue circle on sides (Ref. 48636). Juveniles appear to be very similar in coloration to the adults except for the white outline of the black spot which disappears as the fish increases in size.

Biology: Occur in lagoon and seaward reefs in areas with rich coral growth (Ref. 1602). Juveniles may be found in shallow Acropora thickets (Ref. 1602). Adults occur in pairs (Ref. 1602, 48636). Omnivorous. Feed on coral polyps (Ref. 37816). Oviparous (Ref. 205). Form pairs during breeding (Ref. 205). This species is extremely difficult to maintain in an aquarium and is very rarely imported.

Red List Status: Not Evaluated (Ref. 57073)

Dangerous: harmless

Coordinator: Main Ref: Steene, R.C.. 1978. (Ref. 4859)