Easter Island butterflyfish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Easter Island butterflyfish |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Chaetodon
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| Species: |
litus
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The Easter Island butterflyfish (Chaetodon litus), also called the white-tip butterflyfish, is a type of fish that lives in warm ocean waters. It belongs to the Chaetodontidae family, which includes many colorful fish. This special fish is found only around Easter Island, which is about 3,500 kilometers (2,175 miles) off the coast of Chile.
About This Fish
Butterflyfish have bodies that are tall and flat, like a pancake. They have a snout that points slightly upward. Their top fin (dorsal fin) is one long piece, and their tail fin is shaped like a wedge with a flat end.
The Easter Island butterflyfish looks like a rectangle. It is silvery-grey with scales that have white edges. These fish can grow up to 15.5 centimeters (about 6 inches) long. Their dorsal fin has 13 strong spines and 23 to 25 soft rays. The fin underneath (anal fin) has 3 spines and 19 or 20 soft rays.
Where It Lives
The Easter Island butterflyfish lives only in the waters around Easter Island. This means it is endemic to that area, found nowhere else in the world.
It likes to live on coral reefs and among volcanic rocks. These rocks are often covered with brown algae. You can find them in waters up to about 20 meters (65 feet) deep. Young Easter Island butterflyfish are sometimes seen in rock pools among corals.
What It Does
Young Easter Island butterflyfish act like "cleaner fish." They pick tiny parasites off the skin of bigger fish. This helps the larger fish stay healthy. When it's time to have babies, adult male and female fish form pairs. They stay together during the breeding season.
The Easter Island butterflyfish eats food from the bottom of the ocean. Scientists have looked inside their stomachs to see what they eat. They found that these fish munch on worms, shrimps, fish eggs, and barnacles. They also found pieces of a black sponge called Amphimedon. This was a surprise because butterflyfish usually don't eat sponges. However, it might be that the fish accidentally ate the sponge while trying to get barnacles that were stuck to it.
How It's Doing
The Easter Island butterflyfish was once listed as "Vulnerable" by a group called the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This meant they were worried about the fish's future.
But in 2010, its status was changed to "Least Concern." This means scientists are less worried now. Even though this fish lives in a small area, it is quite common there. It doesn't face many big threats. A few of these fish are caught for home aquariums, but this number is not thought to harm the overall population much.
See also
- In Spanish: Chaetodon litus para niños
