Chelmon rostratus
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)
Chelmon
Chelmon rostratus
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: fusiform / normal. Description: Head and body white sliver, vertical bars orange, black-edged, one across eye, two on anterior half of body, one broader posteriorly; dark brownish bar on caudal peduncle, fins yellow-orange (Ref. 90102). Easily identified by the yellow banding and long snout. Juveniles similar to adults (Ref. 48636). Snout length 1.7-2.1 in HL. Body depth 1.5-2.0 in SL (Ref. 90102). Striking features: striking type of mouth.
Distribution
Western Pacific: Andaman Sea to Ryukyu Islands and Australia.
Habitat Associations
Brackish, marine. reef-associated. depth range 1-25 m. Found in: estuaries, coral reefs.
Biology
A common species found singly and in pairs along rocky shores and coral reefs; also in estuaries and silty inner reefs (Ref. 9710, 48636). Territorial species (Ref. 48636). Oviparous (Ref. 205), monogamous (Ref. 52884). Forms pairs during breeding (Ref. 205).
Max length: 20.0 cm TL; max age: 10 years.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; mating system: monogamy; nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none. Distinct pairing (Ref. 205). 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
Breder, C.M. and D.E. Rosen (1966) Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941 p.
Randall, J.E., G.R. Allen and R.C. Steene (1990) Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, Hawaii. 506 p.
Burgess, W.E. (1978) Butterflyfishes of the world. A monograph of the Family Chaetodontidae. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey.
Masuda, H. and G.R. Allen (1993) Meeresfische der Welt - Groß-Indopazifische Region. Tetra Verlag, Herrenteich, Melle. 528 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.
Whiteman, E.A. and I.M. Côté (2004) Monogamy in marine fishes. Biol. Rev. 79:351-375.
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.
Comments On Chelmon rostratus