Chaetodon sedentarius
Reef Butterflyfish
Collection Details
Specimens
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Chaetodontidae (Butterflyfishes)
Chaetodon
Chaetodon sedentarius (Reef 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, short pointed snout, two broad bars on body. Dorsal profile slightly concave from snout to eye and slightly convex from eye to dorsal fin origin. Jaws slightly prolonged. Anterior naris has enlarged flap on posterior margin, posterior naris slightly elongated. Lachrymal bone below eye is free of scales and has a smooth margin. Preopercular margin very finely serrated, with a rounded corner. Operculum has a broad-based spine on posterior margin. Gill rakers on lower limb of first arch are short and slender and number 14 or 15. Measurements (% SL): head length 27%–33%, snout length 9%–11%, eye diameter 8%–10%, upper jaw length 6%–7%, pectoral fin length 21%–25%, body depth 59%–71%. Pectoral fin has 15 or 16 rays. Dorsal fin has 13 (rarely 14) spines and 21 to 23 rays, with fourth or fifth spines longer than remainder. Anal fin has 3 spines and 18 or 19 rays, with second spine longest. Caudal fin is truncate. Lateral line is incomplete, forms high angular arc, and has 36 to 39 pored scales.
Body is cream colored, with one dark brown to black band extending from origin of dorsal fin through eye to lower edge of interoperculum, and another dark brown to black band extending from margin of rayed section of dorsal fin across caudal peduncle to rear edge of anal fin. Caudal fin is light yellow with a white base. Dorsal section of body may be yellowish.
Distribution
Western Atlantic from North Carolina and Bermuda to northern Brazil, including the northern and southern Gulf of Mexico, the Bahamas, and the Antilles.
Northern and southern Gulf of Mexico
Habitat Associations
Between 15 and 40 m depth
Associated with reefs
Biology
Inhabit coral reefs. Prefer to feed on eggs of Abudefduf saxatilis (Ref. 9626) but also on polychaete worms, shrimps, amphipods and hydroids. Oviparous (Ref. 205). Form pairs during breeding (Ref. 205).
Max length: 15.0 cm TL.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; nonguarders. Distinct pairing (Ref. 205).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2009-10-07. Resilience: Medium (Fec = 7,800).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial.
References
Randall, J.E. (1967) Food habits of reef fishes of the West Indies. Stud. Trop. Oceanogr. Miami 5:665-847.
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.
Lieske, E. and R. Myers (1994) Collins Pocket Guide. Coral reef fishes. Indo-Pacific & Caribbean including the Red Sea. Haper Collins Publishers, 400 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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