Gold-barred butterflyfish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gold-barred butterflyfish |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Chaetodon
|
| Species: |
rainfordi
|
The Rainford's butterflyfish (Chaetodon rainfordi) is a beautiful fish found in the warm waters of the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It's also called the gold-barred butterflyfish or the Northern butterflyfish. This fish is a type of butterflyfish, known for its bright colors and flat body, and it loves to live near coral reefs.
Contents
What Does the Rainford's Butterflyfish Look Like?
The Rainford's butterflyfish is easy to spot because of its unique colors. Its main color is bright yellow. It has a thick orange stripe with dark edges that goes right through its eye. Another thinner orange stripe runs near its pectoral fin (the fin on its side).
- Body Colors: On its body, it has two blue-grey bands. These bands are outlined with yellow-orange.
- Special Mark: You can usually see a black spot near its tail, on a part called the caudal peduncle.
- Fin Colors: Its top fin (dorsal fin), bottom fin (anal fin), and side fins (pectoral fins) are all yellow.
- Size: This fish can grow up to about 15 centimetres (5.9 in) long. That's about the length of a small ruler!
Where Do Rainford's Butterflyfish Live?
You can find the Rainford's butterflyfish in the southwestern part of the Pacific Ocean.
- Main Areas: They live off the coast of southern Papua New Guinea.
- Australia: They are also found along Australia's famous Great Barrier Reef in Queensland. You can see them as far south as the Solitary Islands and Surgeons Reef near Red Rock, New South Wales.
- Island Homes: They also live around Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea.
Habitat and Life Cycle
Rainford's butterflyfish live in coastal and offshore reefs. They prefer areas where corals are not too dense.
- Depth: They usually live in waters between 5 and 20 metres (16 and 66 ft) deep.
- Young Fish: Baby butterflyfish, called juveniles, often hide among branching corals for safety.
- Diet: These fish are very picky eaters! They are obligate corallivores, which means they only eat coral polyps. They cannot survive without coral.
- Reproduction: Rainford's butterflyfish lay eggs. They form pairs when it's time to breed.
Why Are Rainford's Butterflyfish Important?
The Rainford's butterflyfish is not often kept as a pet in home aquariums. This is because it's very hard to care for them. They need to eat only coral, which is difficult to provide in a tank.
- Threats: Sadly, the number of these fish is decreasing. This is mainly because their food source, coral, is dying off due to climate change.
- Habitat Loss: Their homes near the coast are also being damaged. This happens when dirt and mud from human activities on land wash into the ocean.
- Conservation Status: Because of these threats, the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) lists the Rainford's butterflyfish as Near Threatened. This means they could become endangered if we don't protect their coral reef homes.
