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Marine Fishes |
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Order: Perciformes (Perch-likes) |
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Family: Chaetodontidae (Butterflyfishes) |
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Chaetodon baronessa,
Eastern triangular butterflyfish |
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The Eastern Triangular Butterflyfish has a purplish coloured bod y
with yellow chevron-shaped markings on the side. It has three dark
bars on the head and a dark bar with light edges crossing the caudal
fin.
Size range
The species grows to 15 cm in length.
Similar Species
The Eastern Triangular Butterflyfish looks similar to the Triangular
Butterflyfish, C. triangulum. The Triangular Butterflyfish has an
additional yellow bar on the caudal fin base that is lacking in the
Eastern Triangular Butterflyfish. The Seribu Islands off Java is the
only place where these two fishes are found together.
Distribution
Eastern Triangular Butterflyfish occur in tropical marine waters of
the Eastern Indian Ocean to the Western Pacific, from the Cocos-Keeling
Atoll, north to Japan, south to Australia and east to Fiji.
Habitat
Eastern Triangular Butterflyfish inhabit reefs and lagoons that
contain abundant Acropora coral. It is found in depths between 1 m
and 20 m.
Behaviour and adaptations
Feeding and Diet
The species feeds on the polyps of Acropora corals.
Other behaviours and adaptations
The fish's highly compressed body allows it to dart between coral
branches when threatened.
It is often seen in pairs and is highly territorial. |
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