Yellow-dotted butterflyfish facts for kids
The Yellow-dotted Butterflyfish (Chaetodon selene) is a beautiful marine fish. It is a type of butterflyfish and belongs to the Chaetodontidae family. You can find this fish in the waters of the Indo-Western Pacific Ocean.
Quick facts for kids Yellow-dotted butterflyfish |
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| Genus: |
Chaetodon
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| Species: |
selene
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Contents
What Does the Yellow-dotted Butterflyfish Look Like?
This butterflyfish has a whitish body. It is covered with diagonal lines of greyish spots. A black stripe with yellow edges runs vertically through its eye. Another black stripe goes from its back fin (dorsal fin) down to its belly fin (anal fin). This stripe crosses the base of its tail.
Colors and Markings
The fins on its back, belly, and the front part of its tail are yellow. Young Yellow-dotted Butterflyfish have very clear black stripes. As they get older, these stripes become less clear. They also turn brownish, and the yellow color underneath becomes more visible. The back stripe also grows longer with age. It almost reaches the eye stripe. This fish can grow up to about 16 centimeters (6.3 inches) long.
Where Does the Yellow-dotted Butterflyfish Live?
The Yellow-dotted Butterflyfish lives in the Indo-Malayan region. You can find it from northern Java east to northern Papua New Guinea. It also lives northwards to Taiwan and the Ryukyu Islands in Japan.
What is the Habitat and Behavior of This Fish?
These fish live on coastal reefs. They especially like rubble slopes, which are areas with broken rocks and coral. They are found at depths from about 8 to 50 meters (26 to 164 feet).
Social Life and Diet
Yellow-dotted Butterflyfish are usually seen in pairs. Young fish, however, often live alone near coral patches. Adult fish prefer areas with rubble or sandy bottoms. They eat small sea creatures like tunicates and sea squirts. They also munch on other small animals that live on the seabed. Sometimes, they even eat coral polyps and a little bit of algae.
How Scientists Study the Yellow-dotted Butterflyfish
The Yellow-dotted Butterflyfish was first officially described in 1853. A Dutch doctor and fish expert named Pieter Bleeker described it. He found the first known specimen on Solor Island in Indonesia. The name selene means "moon." It might refer to a black, crescent-shaped stripe on the fish.
Family Tree of Butterflyfish
This fish belongs to a large group of butterflyfish called Rabdophorus. Scientists think this group might even be its own separate genus. The Yellow-dotted Butterflyfish is related to the blackback butterflyfish and the spot-tailed butterflyfish. These fish are all oval-shaped and silvery. They have yellow fins and snouts. They also have diagonal stripes and black marks around their eyes.
