Chaetodon is a tropical fish genus in the family Chaetodontidae. Like their relatives, they are known as "butterflyfish". This genus is by far the largest among the Chaetodontidae, with about 90 living species included here, though most might warrant recognition as distinct genera.

Taxonomy

Proposed subgenera

Several subgenera have been proposed for splitting out of this group. It is becoming clear how the genus might be split up, with a range of DNA sequence data in large parts agreeing with S.D. Blum's landmark 1988 phylogenetic assessment of osteology.

Basically, a core group around the type species Chaetodon capistratus would remain in Chaetodon, while maybe four clades would be split off. These could use the names Lepidochaetodon, Megaprotodon and Rabdophorus, and there is one unnamed group containing the three-banded butterflyfish (C. robustus) and its relatives. But the monophyly of the Lepidochaetodon group is not fully established; it is both unclear whether Rhombochaetodon is a lineage distinct from Exornator, and whether Lepidochaetodon is indeed closer to these than to any other Chaetodon, particularly to some lineages otherwise placed in Megaprotodon.

Historically, more distantly related fish were placed in Chaetodon too, for resembling them in details – e.g. the common scat Scatophagus argus, which has a similar shape and size, as well as armored larvae like the Chaetodontidae – or simply because they are colorful, smallish, and unusual-looking – e.g. the quite unrelated paradise fish, as C. chinensis.

The classification proposed in Fessler and Westneat is based on the species of Chaetodon they sampled and these sorted into the following clades:

Chaetodon sensu stricto

{| class="wikitable"

|+

!Species

!Common name

!Image

|-

|Chaetodon capistratus <small>Linnaeus, 1758</small>

|Foureye butterflyfish<!-- MolPhylEvol45:50 -->

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon ocellatus <small>Bloch, 1787</small>

|Spotfin butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon striatus <small>Linnaeus, 1758</small>

|Banded butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|}

C. robustus group

{| class="wikitable"

|+

!Species

!Common name

!Image

|-

|Chaetodon hoefleri <small>Steindachner, 1881</small>

|Four-banded butterflyfish<!-- MolPhylEvol45:50 -->

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon robustus <small>Günther, 1860</small>

|Three-banded butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|}

Lepidochaetodon group

{| class="wikitable"

|+Subgenus Exornator

!Species

!Common name

!Image

|-

|Chaetodon citrinellus <small>G. Cuvier, 1831</small>

|Speckled butterflyfish,

Citron butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon dolosus <small>C. G. E. Ahl, 1923</small>

|African butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon guentheri <small>C. G. E. Ahl, 1923</small>

|Crochet butterflyfish<!-- MolPhylEvol45:50 -->

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon guttatissimus <small>E. T. Bennett, 1833</small>

|Peppered butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon miliaris <small>Quoy & Gaimard, 1825</small>

|Millet butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon multicinctus <small>A. Garrett, 1863</small>

|Pebbled butterflyfish<!-- MolPhylEvol45:50 -->

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon pelewensis <small>Kner, 1868</small>

|Sunset butterflyfish<!-- MolPhylEvol45:50. RafflesBullZoolS14:77. -->

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon punctatofasciatus <small>G. Cuvier, 1831</small>

|Spotband butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon quadrimaculatus <small>J. E. Gray, 1831</small>

|Fourspot butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon sedentarius <small>Poey, 1860</small>

|Reef butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|}

<nowiki>*</nowiki>Nota bene: including Burgessius, Heterochaetodon and possibly Rhombochaetodon; tentatively placed here.

{| class="wikitable"

|+Subgenus Lepidochaetodon

!Species

!Common name

!Image

|-

|Chaetodon daedalma <small>D. S. Jordan & Fowler, 1902</small>

|Wrought-iron butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon interruptus <small>C. G. E. Ahl, 1923</small>

|Yellow teardrop butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon kleinii <small>Bloch, 1790</small>

|Sunburst butterflyfish,

black-lipped butterflyfish,

Klein's butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon litus <small>J. E. Randall & D. K. Caldwell, 1973</small>

|Easter Island butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon nippon <small>Steindachner & Döderlein (de), 1883</small>

|Japanese butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon smithi <small>J. E. Randall, 1975</small>

|Smith's butterflyfish

|

|-

|Chaetodon trichrous <small>Günther, 1874</small>

|Tahiti butterflyfish<!-- RafflesBullZoolS14:77. -->

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon unimaculatus <small>Bloch, 1787</small>

|Teardrop butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|}

<nowiki>*</nowiki>Nota bene: including Tifia. C. daedalma, C. litus, C. nippon, and C. smithi are tentatively placed here.

{| class="wikitable"

|+Subgenus Rhombochaetodon

!Species

!Common name

!Image

|-

|Chaetodon argentatus <small>H. M. Smith & Radcliffe, 1911</small>

|Asian butterflyfish<!-- RafflesBullZoolS14:77. -->

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon blackburnii <small>Desjardins, 1836</small>

|Brownburnie

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon burgessi <small>G. R. Allen & Starck, 1973</small>

|Burgess' butterflyfish<!-- MolPhylEvol45:50 -->

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon declivis <small>J. E. Randall, 1975</small>

|Marquesas butterflyfish<!-- "declevis" is lapsus -->

|

|-

|Chaetodon flavocoronatus <small>R. F. Myers, 1980</small>

|Yellow-crowned butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon fremblii <small>E. T. Bennett</small>

|Blue-striped butterflyfish<!-- MolPhylEvol45:50 -->

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon madagaskariensis <small>C. G. E. Ahl, 1923</small>

|Seychelles butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon mertensii <small>G. Cuvier, 1831</small>

|Atoll butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon mitratus <small>Günther, 1860</small>

|Indian butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon paucifasciatus <small>C. G. E. Ahl, 1923</small>

|Eritrean butterflyfish,

crown butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon tinkeri <small>L. P. Schultz, 1951</small>

|Hawaiian butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon xanthurus <small>Bleeker, 1857</small>

|Pearlscale butterflyfish,

Philippines chevron butterflyfish,

yellow-tailed butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|}

Nota bene: including Roaops, might belong in Exornator; tentatively placed here. C. blackburnii, C. declivis, C. flavocoronatus, C. mitratus, and C. tinkeri tentatively placed here.

Megaprotodon group

{| class="wikitable"

|+Subgenus "Citharoedus"

!Species

!Common name

!Image

|-

|Chaetodon meyeri <small>Bloch & J. G. Schneider, 1801</small>

|Scrawled butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon ornatissimus <small>G. Cuvier, 1831</small>

|Ornate butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon reticulatus <small>G. Cuvier, 1831</small>

|Mailed butterflyfish<!-- MolPhylEvol45:50. RafflesBullZoolS14:77. --><!-- "reticluatus" is lapsus -->

|frameless|150x150px

|}

Nota bene: tentatively placed here.

{| class="wikitable"

|+Subgenus Corallochaetodon

!Species

!Common name

!Image

|-

|Chaetodon austriacus <small>Rüppell, 1836</small>

|Blacktail butterflyfish,

exquisite butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon lunulatus <small>Quoy & Gaimard, 1825</small>

|Redfin butterflyfish,

oval butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon melapterus <small>Guichenot, 1863</small>

|Arabian butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon trifasciatus <small>M. Park, 1797</small>

|Indian redfin butterflyfish,

melon butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|}

Nota bene: tentatively placed here.

{| class="wikitable"

|+Subgenus Discochaetodon

!Species

!Common name

!Image

|-

|Chaetodon aureofasciatus <small>W. J. Macleay, 1878</small>

|Golden butterflyfish<!-- RafflesBullZoolS14:77. -->

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon octofasciatus <small>Bloch, 1787</small>

|Eightband butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon rainfordi <small>McCulloch, 1923</small>

|Rainford's butterflyfish<!-- MolPhylEvol45:50. RafflesBullZoolS14:77. -->

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon tricinctus <small>Waite, 1901</small>

|Three-striped butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|}

Nota bene: C. tricinctus tentatively placed here in Discochaetodon.

{| class="wikitable"

|+Subgenus Gonochaetodon

!Species

!Common name

!Image

|-

|Chaetodon baronessa <small>G. Cuvier, 1829</small>

|Eastern triangle butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon larvatus <small>G. Cuvier, 1831</small>

|Hooded butterflyfish<!-- MolPhylEvol45:50. RafflesBullZoolS14:77. -->

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon triangulum <small>G. Cuvier, 1831</small>

|Triangle butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|}

Nota bene: tentatively placed here.

{| class="wikitable"

|+Subgenus Megaprotodon

!Species

!Common name

!Image

|-

|Chaetodon trifascialis <small>Quoy & Gaimard, 1825</small>

|Chevron butterflyfish,

triangulate butterflyfish,

V-lined butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|}

{| class="wikitable"

|+Subgenus Tetrachaetodon

!Species

!Common name

!Image

|-

|Chaetodon andamanensis <small>Kuiter & Debelius (de), 1999</small>

|Andaman butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon bennetti <small>G. Cuvier, 1831</small>

|Bluelashed butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon plebeius <small>G. Cuvier, 1831</small>

|Blue-blotched butterflyfish<!-- MolPhylEvol45:50. RafflesBullZoolS14:77. -->

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon speculum <small>G. Cuvier, 1831</small>

|Mirror butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon zanzibarensis <small>Playfair (fr), 1867</small>

|Zanzibar butterflyfish<!-- MolPhylEvol45:50 -->

|frameless|150x150px

|}

Nota bene: C. andamanensis is tentatively placed here in Tetrachaetodon.

Rabdophorus group

{| class="wikitable"

|+

! colspan="2" |Species

!Common name

!Image

|-

| rowspan="3" |Aspilurochaetodon

|Chaetodon gardineri <small>Norman, 1939</small>

|Gardner's butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon leucopleura <small>Playfair, 1867</small>

|Somali butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon selene <small>Bleeker, 1853</small>

|Yellow-dotted butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

| colspan="2" |Chaetodon adiergastos <small>Seale, 1910</small>

|Philippine butterflyfish,

Panda butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

| colspan="2" |Chaetodon auriga <small>Forsskål, 1775</small>

|Threadfin butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

| colspan="2" |Chaetodon auripes <small>D. S. Jordan & Snyder, 1901</small>

|Oriental butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

| colspan="2" |Chaetodon collare <small>Bloch, 1787</small>

|Redtail butterflyfish,

Pakistani butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

| colspan="2" |Chaetodon decussatus <small>G. Cuvier, 1829</small>

|Indian vagabond butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

| colspan="2" |Chaetodon ephippium <small>G. Cuvier, 1831</small>

|Saddle butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

| colspan="2" |Chaetodon falcula <small>Bloch, 1795</small>

|Blackwedged butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

| colspan="2" |Chaetodon fasciatus <small>Forsskål, 1775</small>

|Red Sea raccoon butterflyfish,

diagonal butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

| colspan="2" |Chaetodon flavirostris <small>Günther, 1874</small>

|Black butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

| colspan="2" |Chaetodon lineolatus <small>G. Cuvier, 1831</small>

|Lined butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

| colspan="2" |Chaetodon lunula <small>(Lacépède, 1802)</small>

|Raccoon butterflyfish,

crescent-masked butterflyfish,

lunule butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

| colspan="2" |Chaetodon melannotus <small>Bloch & J. G. Schneider, 1801</small>

|Blackback butterflyfish

|

frameless|150x150px

|-

| colspan="2" |Chaetodon mesoleucos <small>Forsskål, 1775</small>

|White-faced butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

| colspan="2" |Chaetodon nigropunctatus <small>Sauvage, 1880</small>

|Black-spotted butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

| colspan="2" |Chaetodon ocellicaudus <small>G. Cuvier, 1831</small>

|Spot-tail butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

| colspan="2" |Chaetodon oxycephalus <small>Bleeker, 1853</small>

|Spot-naped butterflyfish

|frameless|150px

|-

| colspan="2" |Chaetodon pictus <small>Forsskål, 1775</small>

|Horseshoe butterflyfish

|

|-

| colspan="2" |Chaetodon rafflesii <small>Anonymous [Bennett], 1830</small>

|Latticed butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

| colspan="2" |Chaetodon semeion <small>Bleeker, 1855</small>

|Dotted butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

| colspan="2" |Chaetodon semilarvatus <small>G. Cuvier, 1831</small>

|Bluecheek butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

| colspan="2" |Chaetodon ulietensis <small>G. Cuvier, 1831</small>

|Pacific double-saddle butterflyfish,

false falcula butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

| colspan="2" |Chaetodon vagabundus <small>Linnaeus, 1758</small>

|Vagabond butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

| colspan="2" |Chaetodon wiebeli <small>Kaup, 1863</small>

|Hong Kong butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

| colspan="2" |Chaetodon xanthocephalus <small>E. T. Bennett, 1833</small>

|Yellowhead butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|}

Nota bene: Including Aspilurochaetodon and Chaetodontops. C. auripes, C. gardineri, C. leucopleura, C. nigropunctatus, and C. xanthocephalus are tentatively placed in this group.

Incertae sedis

{| class="wikitable"

|+

!Species

!Common name

!Image

|-

|Chaetodon assarius <small>Waite, 1905</small>

|West Australian butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon dialeucos <small>Salm & Mee, 1989</small>

|Oman butterflyfish

|

|-

|Chaetodon humeralis <small>Günther, 1860</small>

|Threebanded butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon marleyi <small>Regan, 1921</small>

|Doublesash butterflyfish

|frameless|150x150px

|-

|Chaetodon sanctaehelenae <small>Günther, 1868</small>

|Saint Helena butterflyfish

|

|}

Nota bene: most are probably either Chaetodon sensu stricto or C. robustus group.

Fossil species

thumb|Fossil specimen of [[Chaetodon ficheuri]]

The following fossil species are known:

  • Subgenus †Arambourgchaetodon
  • †Chaetodon ficheuri <small>Arambourg, 1927</small> (Late Miocene of Algeria)
  • Subgenus †Blumchaetodon
  • †Chaetodon wattsi <small>Marramà, Giusberti & Carnevale, 2022</small> (Early Oligocene of Italy)

The species Chaetodon penniger <small>Bogachev, 1964</small> from the late Oligocene of Azerbaijan cannot be confidently assigned to this genus due to the incompleteness of the fossil.

Footnotes

References

  • Blum, S. D. (1988): Osteology and Phylogeny of the Chaetodontidae (Pisces: Perciformes). University of Hawaii, Honolulu.
  • Fessler, Jennifer L. & Westneat, Mark W. (2007): Molecular phylogenetics of the butterflyfishes (Chaetodontidae): Taxonomy and biogeography of a global coral reef fish family. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 45(1): 50–68.
  • Hsu, Kui-Ching; Chen, Jeng-Ping & Shao, Kwang-Tsao (2007): Molecular phylogeny of Chaetodon (Teleostei: Chaetodontidae) in the Indo-West Pacific: evolution in geminate species pairs and species groups. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology Supplement 14: 77-86. PDF fulltext
  • Sepkoski, Jack (2002): [Chaetodon]. In: A compendium of fossil marine animal genera. Bulletins of American Paleontology 364: 560. HTML database excerpt