Kingdom Animalia Subgenus Corallochaetodon Phylum Chordata Rank Species | Family Chaetodontidae Scientific name Chaetodon lunulatus Higher classification Chaetodon Order Perciformes | |
 | ||
Genus Chaetodon (but see text) Similar Chaetodon, Butterflyfish, Melon butterflyfish, Chevron butterflyfish, Eastern triangle butterflyfish | ||
Oval butterflyfish
The Oval Butterflyfish, Red-finned Butterflyfish or redfin butterflyfish (Chaetodon lunulatus) is a species of butterflyfish (family Chaetodontidae). It is found in the Pacific Ocean from Eastern Indonesia to the Hawaiian islands. This is one species of a closely related group which includes the Blacktail butterflyfish which is found in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and the Melon butterflyfish which is found in the Indian Ocean.
Contents
The Black-tailed Butterflyfish (C. austriacus) and the Melon Butterflyfish (C. trifasciatus) and the Oval Butterflyfish (C. lunulatus) are similar in coloration. The former has black caudal and anal fins, while the latter is an Indian Ocean species and has a more conspicuous back patch below the dorsal fin and a mainly yellow anal fin.
Together with the Black-tailed and Melon butterflyfishes and probably also the somewhat aberrant Arabian Butterflyfish (C. melapterus) it makes up the subgenus Corallochaetodon. They are probably quite close to the subgenus called "Citharoedus" (that name is a junior homonym of a mollusc genus), which contains for example the Scrawled Butterflyfish (C. meyeri). Like that group, they might be separated in Megaprotodon if the genus Chaetodon is split up.
The Oval Butterflyfish is found at depths between 2 and 20 m in coral-rich lagoons and semi-protected seaward reefs. Small juveniles are secretive and hide in corals. Growing to a maximum of 15 cm long, the monogamous adults swim in pairs and may be territorial and aggressive to other Chaetodon. Oval Butterflyfish feed exclusively on coral polyps. They are oviparous.
