Horseshoe butterflyfish (Chaetodon pictus)

Scientific name: Chaetodon pictus Forssk?l, 1775

Horseshoe butterflyfish (Chaetodon pictus)

The Horseshoe butterflyfish (Chaetodon pictus) is a marine fish of the family Chaetodontidae. Native range: Western Indian Ocean, Red Sea, Oman and Gulf of Aden.

Biology

This species is similar to Chaetodon vagabundus except for the following: that the black band running up the rear of the body merges with the black dorsal fin margin and eye band, thus forming a horseshoe mark; the black tail fin bands are replaced by reddish brown bands; and the soft dorsal and anal fins of adults are more pointed.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Chaetodon pictus
Family
Chaetodontidae (Butterflyfishes)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Environment
Marine; reef-associated
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Western Indian Ocean: Red Sea, Oman and Gulf of Aden.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Least Concern (LC)
Threat to humans
Harmless

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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