| Latticed Butterflyfish | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Chaetodontidae |
| Genus: | Chaetodon (but see text) |
| Subgenus: | Rabdophorus |
| Species: | C. (R.) rafflesii |
| Binomial name | |
| Chaetodon (Rabdophorus) rafflesii Bennett, 1830 |
|
The Latticed Butterflyfish, Chaetodon rafflesii, is a species of butterflyfish (family Chaetodontidae). It is found in the Indo-Pacific region from Sri Lanka to the Tuamotu Islands, north to southern Japan, south to the Great Barrier Reef, and from Palau (Belau) to the eastern Caroline Islands in Micronesia.[1]
It grows to a maximum of 18 cm (7.1 in) long. The body color is yellow with a cross-hatched pattern of darker lines on the sides; it has a vertical black eyestripe and a vertical black line in the caudal fin. The peculiarly-patterned C. rafflesii belongs to the large subgenus Rabdophorus which might warrant recognition as a distinct genus. In this group, it seems to represent a rather unique lineage, with perhaps just the White-faced Butterflyfish (C. mesoleucos) being less distantly related.[2]
The Latticed Butterflyfish is an uncommon species found in areas of rich coral growth of lagoons and protected reef flats and seaward reefs from 1-20 m depth. It feeds on sea anemones, polychaetes, and octocorallian and scleractinian coral polyps.[1]