Bluespot Butterflyfish (species: Chaetodon plebeius) in taxonomy (Lizard Island Field Guide)
Animalia > Chordata > Vertebrata > Pisces > Actinopterygii > Perciformes > Percoidei > Chaetodontidae > Chaetodon > Chaetodon plebeius (gallery)
Chaetodon plebeius
Bluespot Butterflyfish


©Andy Lewis: Bluespot Butterflyfish

©Mark Shepherd: Bluespot Butterflyfish at Lizard Island

©Mike Bok: A juvenile Chaetodon plebeius from Lizard Island (aquarium photo).

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Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Actinopterygii
Order Perciformes
Family Chaetodontidae
Genus Chaetodon
Species Chaetodon plebeius

Lizard Island Field Guide
Lizard Island area: all known taxa

Colours

              

Distinguishing features

A small bright yellow butterflyfish with many indistinct darker stripes, a large elongate blue patch on the side and black spot on the tail peduncle.

Size

  • Up to 15 cm (Length of specimen)

Depth range

  • Depth range data is not yet available.

Synonyms

Distribution


©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution

Local abundance

  • Lizard Island: Common, often in pairs.

Web resources

References

References that assist with identification

  • 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.

Other references

  • Bellwood, D.R., S. Klanten, P.F. Cowman, M.S. Pratchett, N. Konow and L. van Herwerden (2009). Evolutionary history of the butterflyfishes (f: Chaetodontidae) and the rise of coral feeding fishes, Journal of Evolutionary Biology, doi 10.1111: j1420-9101200901904x. LIRS catalog number 1348.
  • Berumen, M.L. (2006). Influence of resource availability on life-history traits in coral-feeding butterflyfishes (Pisces: Chaetodontidae), Ph.D. thesis, James Cook University, Australia. LIRS catalog number 987.
  • View all references