The Great Fiji Butterflyfish Count

Chaetodon lunula (Lacepède, 1802)

Family: Chaetodontidae (Butterflyfishes)
Order: Perciformes (perch-likes)
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
FishBase name: Raccoon butterflyfish

Environment: reef-associated; marine; depth range 0 – 30 m

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

Distribution: Gazetteer Indo-Pacific: East Africa to the Hawaiian, Marquesan, and Ducie islands, north to southern Japan, south to Lord Howe and Rapa islands. Southeast Atlantic: East London, South Africa (Ref. 5372).

Paired Racoon Butterflyfish, FijiMorphology: Dorsal spines (total): 10 – 14; Dorsal soft rays (total): 20 – 25; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 17 – 20

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

Biology: Nocturnal species that is usually in pairs or small groups in shallow reef flats of lagoon and seaward reefs to depths of over 30 m. Juvenile occurs among rocks of inner reef flats and in tide pools (Ref. 205). Engybenthic (Ref. 58302). Adult feeds mainly on nudibranchs, tubeworm tentacles, and other benthic invertebrates, also feeds on algae and coral polyps. Oviparous (Ref. 205). Forms pairs during breeding (Ref. 205).

Red List Status: Not Evaluated (Ref. 57073)

Max. size: 20.0 cm TL (male/unsexed; Ref. 9710); max. reported age: 9 years

Climate: tropical; 30°N – 32°S

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

Dangerous: harmless