The Great Fiji Butterflyfish Count


Spot-nape butterflyfish

Chaetodon oxycephalus Bleeker, 1853
Family: Chaetodontidae (Butterflyfishes) picture (Choxy_u0.jpg) by Randall, J.E.
Image for Chaetodon oxycephalus, Chaetodontidae, Spot-nape butterflyfish.

Point map |

Order: Perciformes (perch-likes)
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
FishBase name: Spot-nape butterflyfish
Max. size: 25.0 cm TL (male/unsexed; Ref. 2334)
Environment: reef-associated; marine; depth range 10 – 40 m
Climate: tropical; 20°N – 34°S
Importance: aquarium: commercial; price category: not marketed/unknown
Resilience: High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months(Preliminary K or Fecundity.)
Vulnerability: Low vulnerability (13.16), based on Lmax and K (Ref. 59153)
Distribution:
Gazetteer
Indo-Pacific: Sri Lanka to Queensland, north to the Philippines.
Morphology: Dorsal spines (total): 11 – 12; Dorsal soft rays (total): 22 – 24; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 18 – 20. Very similar to C. lineolatus but has a large black spot on the forehead. Body is white with a large black blotch on the upper posterior portion of the trunk and thin vertical lines on the sides. A black bar runs across the eye. The fins are bright yellow.
Biology: Found in coral-rich areas of coastal reefs, feeding mainly on coral polyps and anemones (Ref. 9710). Oviparous (Ref. 205). Form pairs during breeding (Ref. 205).
Red List Status: Not Evaluated (Ref. 57073)
Dangerous: harmless
Coordinator:
Main Ref: Randall, J.E., G.R. Allen and R.C. Steene. 1990. (Ref. 2334)