| Ornate Butterflyfish | |
|---|---|
| At Sipadan Island (Malaysia) | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Chaetodontidae |
| Genus: | Chaetodon (but see text) |
| Subgenus: | "Citharoedus" |
| Species: | C. ("C.") ornatissimus |
| Binomial name | |
| Chaetodon ("Citharoedus") ornatissimus Cuvier, 1831 |
|
The Ornate Butterflyfish, Chaetodon ornatissimus, is a species of butterflyfish (family Chaetodontidae). It is found in depths down to 36 m.[1]
It is a close relative of the Mailed Butterflyfish (C. reticulatus) and the Scrawled Butterflyfish (C. meyeri). Together they make up the subgenus called "Citharoedus", but as this name had already been used for a mollusc genus when it was given to the fish, it is not valid. They are probably quite close to the subgenus Corallochaetodon which contains for example the Melon Butterflyfish (C. trifasciatus). Like these, they might be separated in Megaprotodon if the genus Chaetodon is split up.[2]