Chaetodon vagabundus
No common name
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Chaetodontidae (Butterflyfishes)
Chaetodon
Chaetodon vagabundus
Description
This species account was compiled from
FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2025. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version 04/2025.)
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Characters
Body shape: short and / or deep. This species is distinguished by the following characters: snout length 2.5-3.2 in head length; greatest body depth 1.5-1.7 in SL. Body pattern chevron with narrow lines on side; black band across posterior body which does not include entire rear part of dorsal fin (Ref. 90102). Striking features: striking type of mouth.
Distribution
Indo-Pacific: East Africa to the Line and Tuamoto islands, north to southern Japan, south to the Lord Howe and the Austral islands. Closely related to Chaetodon decussatus.
Habitat Associations
Marine. reef-associated. depth range 0-30 m. Found in: estuaries, coral reefs.
Biology
Adults are found in reef flats, lagoon and seaward reefs and sometimes in turbid waters subject to freshwater runoff swimming in pairs. They are omnivorous, feeding on algae, coral polyps, crustaceans and worms (Ref. 5503). They are oviparous (Ref. 205) and monogamous (Ref. 52884). Stable monogamous pairs with both pair members jointly defending a feeding territory against other pairs (Ref. 58331) occur, but often accompany other species without being aggressive. They are easily maintained in tanks. Minimum depth reported taken from Ref. 128797.
Max length: 23.0 cm TL; common length: 15.0 cm TL.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; mating system: monogamy; nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none. Distinct pairing (Ref. 205). Stable monogamous pairs with both pair members jointly defending a feeding territory. Pelagic larvae settle to shallow (<4 m) back reef habitats consisting of rubble, seagrass and low coral cover (Ref. 58331). Monogamous mating is observed as both obligate and social (Ref. 52884).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2009-10-09. Resilience: High (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: commercial.
References
Thresher, R.E. (1984) Reproduction in reef fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Inc. Ltd., Neptune City, New Jersey. 399 p.
Myers, R.F. (1991) Micronesian reef fishes. Second Ed. Coral Graphics, Barrigada, Guam. 298 p.
Steene, R.C. (1978) Butterfly and angelfishes of the world. A.H. & A.W. Reed Pty Ltd., Australia. vol. 1. 144 p.
Lieske, E. and R. Myers (1994) Collins Pocket Guide. Coral reef fishes. Indo-Pacific & Caribbean including the Red Sea. Haper Collins Publishers, 400 p.
Harmelin-Vivien, M.L. (1989) Implications of feeding specialization on the recruitment processes and community structure of butterflyfishes. Environ. Biol. Fishes 25(1-3):101-110.
Pyle, R. (2001) Chaetodontidae. Butterflyfishes. p.3224-3265. In K.E. Carpenter and V.H. Niem (eds.) FAO species identification guide for fishery purposes. The living marine resources of the Western Central Pacific. Volume 5. Bony fishes part 3 (Menidae to Pomacentridae). Rome, FAO. pp. 2791-3380.
Whiteman, E.A. and I.M. Côté (2004) Monogamy in marine fishes. Biol. Rev. 79:351-375.
Heemstra, P.C. and E. Heemstra (2004) Coastal fishes of Southern Africa. National Inquiry Service Centre (NISC) and South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB), Grahamstown. 488 p.
Allen, G.R. and M.V. Erdmann (2012) Reef fishes of the East Indies. Perth, Australia: Universitiy of Hawai'i Press, Volumes I-III. Tropical Reef Research.
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