HomeMarine aquarium fishAngelfish & butterflyfishBanded butterflyfish Banded butterflyfish (Chaetodon striatus) Scientific name: Chaetodon striatus Linnaeus, 1758 The Banded butterflyfish (Chaetodon striatus) is a marine fish of the family Chaetodontidae. Native range: Western Atlantic, Massachusetts, USA to Santa Catarina, Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. Eastern Central Atlantic: St. Paul's Rocks. BiologyInhabit coral reefs. Occur singly or in pairs. Feed on polychaete worms, coral polyps, crustaceans and mollusk eggs. Oviparous, monogamous. Form pairs during breeding. Adults may form plankton-feeding aggregations of up to 20 individuals, and occasionally clean other reef fishes which join the group, such as grunts, parrotfishes and surgeon fishes. (Ref: 40093). Generally common.Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. Species factsScientific nameChaetodon striatusFamilyChaetodontidae (Butterflyfishes)OrderPerciformes (Perch-like fish)ClassActinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)Maximum length16.0Depth range3–55 m (10–180 ft)EnvironmentMarine; reef-associated; depth range 3 - 55 m, usually 5 - 20 mClimateTropicalDistributionWestern Atlantic: Massachusetts, USA to Santa Catarina, Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. Eastern Central Atlantic: St. Paul's Rocks.Conservation status (IUCN)Least Concern (LC)Threat to humansHarmlessUsesAquarium: commercialResilienceHigh, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.) More angelfish & butterflyfishPajama cardinalfishSphaeramia nematopteraReef butterflyfishChaetodon sedentariusCherubfishCentropyge argiSpotfin butterflyfishChaetodon ocellatusAngelfishHolacanthus bermudensisScythemarked butterflyfishPrognathodes falciferSee all angelfish & butterflyfish SourcesTaxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.Last updated 27 September 2026