Chaetodon ocellatus
Spotfin Butterflyfish
Collection Details
Specimens
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Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Chaetodontidae (Butterflyfishes)
Chaetodon
Chaetodon ocellatus (Spotfin Butterflyfish)
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
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Characters
Deep bodied and compressed, with a short, pointed snout. Dorsal profile is slightly concave from snout to eye and slightly convex from eye to dorsal fin origin. Jaws are slightly prolonged. Anterior naris has enlarged flap on posterior margin, and posterior naris is slightly elongated. Lachrymal bone, below eye, is free of scales and has a smooth margin. Preopercular margin is very finely serrated, with corner rounded. Operculum has a broad-based spine on posterior margin. Gill rakers on lower limb of first arch are short and slender and number about 14 or 15. Measurements are expressed as percent of SL: head length 34%–35%, snout length 11%–13%, eye diameter 9%–10%, upper jaw length 8%–9%, pectoral fin length 24%–28%, body depth 63%–80%. Pectoral fin has 14 or 15 rays. Dorsal fin has 12 (rarely 13) spines and 19 to 21 rays, with fourth or fifth spines longer than remainder. Anal fin has 3 spines and 16 to 18 rays, with second spine longest. Caudal fin is truncate. Lateral line is incomplete, forms high angular arc, and has 33 to 34 pored scales. Scales form deep sheath at base of dorsal fin.
Color is whitish yellow, with a black bar extending from nape through eye to lower section of interoperculum, a narrow yellow band extending from gill opening to pectoral fin base, and a large dull spot at base of rayed section of dorsal fin. Dull spot at base of dorsal fin becomes black during night and may disappear or become lighter than background during daylight. Lips and fins are yellowish. Males have a small black spot on posterior edge of dorsal fin. Juveniles have an additional black band extending from margin of rayed section of dorsal fin to base of anal fin.
Distribution
Western Atlantic from New Jersey and Bermuda to Brazil, including the northern and southern Gulf of Mexico, the Bahamas, and the Antilles.
Northern and southern Gulf of Mexico
Habitat Associations
Shallow reefs, from near shore to 30 m
Biology
Maximum known size is 150 mm SL
Inhabit shallow, coral reefs with clear water (Ref. 9626). Develop dusky bands at night. Generally common (Ref. 9710). Oviparous (Ref. 205). Form pairs during breeding (Ref. 205).
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; nonguarders. Form pairs during breeding (Ref. 205).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2009-09-03. Resilience: High (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial.
References
Longley and Hildebrand 1941
Caldwell 1959
Böhlke and Chaplin 1968
Haburay et al. 1969
Hastings et al. 1976
Bright and Cashman 1974
Hoese and Moore 1977
Hoese and Moore 1998
Burgess 1978
Burgess 2002a
Shipp and Hopkins 1978
Hastings 1979
Allen 1980
Matsuura 1983i
Robins and Ray 1986
Boschung 1992
Cervigón 1993b
Randall 1996
Schaldach et al. 1997
Smith 1997
Castro-Aguirre et al. 1999
Smith-Vaniz et al. 1999
Breder, C.M. and D.E. Rosen (1966) Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941 p.
Burgess, W.E. (1978) Butterflyfishes of the world. A monograph of the Family Chaetodontidae. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey.
Allen, G.R. (1985) Butterfly and angelfishes of the world. Vol. 2. 3rd edit. in English. Mergus Publishers, Melle, Germany.
Robins, C.R. and G.C. Ray (1986) A field guide to Atlantic coast fishes of North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, U.S.A. 354 p.
Pitts, P.A. (1991) Comparative use of food and space by three Bahamian butterflyfishes. Bull. Mar. Sci. 48(3):749-756.
Cervigón, F. (1993) Los peces marinos de Venezuela. Volume 2. Fundación Científica Los Roques, Caracas,Venezuela. 497 p.
Randall, J.E. (1996) Caribbean reef fishes. Third Edition - revised and enlarged. T.F.H. Publications, Inc. Ltd., Hong Kong. 3nd ed. 368 p.
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