Teardrop butterflyfish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Teardrop butterflyfish |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Chaetodon
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| Species: |
unimaculatus
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The teardrop butterflyfish (Chaetodon unimaculatus) is a beautiful fish that lives in the ocean. It is a type of butterflyfish, known for its bright colors and unique patterns. You can find this fish in the warm waters of the Indo-Pacific region.
Contents
What Does It Look Like?
The teardrop butterflyfish has a mostly white body. Its back, along with its dorsal, anal, and pelvic fins, are bright yellow.
A large, black, teardrop-shaped spot marks its upper side. There is also a wide, black stripe that goes vertically through its eye.
You might see delicate yellowish-orange patterns on its sides, right in front of the black teardrop. Another black stripe runs from the back of its dorsal fin, over its tail base, to the back of its anal fin.
This fish has 12 to 13 strong spines and 19 to 23 soft rays in its dorsal fin. Its anal fin has 3 spines and 18 to 20 soft rays. The teardrop butterflyfish can grow up to 20 centimeters (about 8 inches) long. However, they are usually around 16 centimeters (about 6 inches).
Where Do They Live?
The teardrop butterflyfish lives in the eastern Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean. You can find them from Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Island all the way east to Hawaii, the Marquesas, and Ducie Island.
They also live north to Southern Japan and south to Lord Howe in the Tasman Sea. You can even spot them along the central coast of New South Wales.
Habitat and Life Cycle
Teardrop butterflyfish usually swim in small groups. They like to live in shallow reef flats, clear lagoons, and reefs that face the open ocean.
They enjoy eating soft and hard corals. Their diet also includes small worms called polychaetes, tiny crustaceans, and stringy algae.
These fish lay eggs, which means they are an oviparous species. They form pairs and stay together to breed, meaning they are monogamous. You can find these fish at depths from 1 to 60 meters (about 3 to 200 feet). They are most common where soft, leathery corals like Sarcophyton and Sinularia grow.
About Their Name
The teardrop butterflyfish was first officially described in 1787. A German doctor and zoologist named Marcus Elieser Bloch gave it its scientific name. He found it in the East Indies, which is now Indonesia.
In the western Indian Ocean, you'll find a similar fish called the yellow teardrop butterflyfish (Chaetodon interruptus). It used to be thought of as a type of teardrop butterflyfish, but now it's considered its own separate species.
How People Use Them
The teardrop butterflyfish is quite popular in the aquarium trade. This means many people keep them as pets in their home fish tanks. Some local fishermen also catch them for food.
See also
In Spanish: Pez mariposa de lágrima para niños
