Lord Howe Island butterflyfish
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| Amphichaetodon howensis (Waite, 1903) |
The Lord Howe Island butterflyfish, Amphichaetodon capistratus, is a butterflyfish of the family Chaetodontidae, found along the east coast of Australia, around Lord Howe Island, and down the east coast of Northland in New Zealand, at depths of between 10 and 150 m. They are up to 20 cm long.
Lord Howe Island butterflyfish are deep-bodied and laterally compressed, with a pointed snout and small fan-like caudal fin. The first dorsal fin contains 12 spines capable of being locked in the erect position to detering would-be predators. The small pointed mouth contains bands of fine brush-like teeth enabling the fish to reach deep into crevices to pluck out small crustaceans and tube worms, and to nip off individual polyps from hydroids, gorgonians and soft corals.
Coloration consists of vivid vertical stripes of yellow and black on the head, body and fins. One of the stripes goes through the eye to make it a less obvious target for predators.
[edit] References
- "Amphichaetodon howensis". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. March 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
- Tony Ayling & Geoffrey Cox, Collins Guide to the Sea Fishes of New Zealand, (William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1982) ISBN 0-00-216987-8
