Kingdom Animalia Order Perciformes Subgenus Lepidochaetodon Higher classification Chaetodon | Phylum Chordata Family Chaetodontidae Scientific name Chaetodon unimaculatus Rank Species | |
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Genus Chaetodon (but see text) Similar Butterflyfish, Chaetodon, Chevron butterflyfish, Pacific double‑saddle butterflyfish, Saddle butterflyfish | ||
Teardrop butterflyfish
The Teardrop Butterflyfish, Chaetodon unimaculatus, is a species of butterflyfish (family Chaetodontidae).
Contents
Yellow teardrop butterflyfish chaetodon interruptus
Distribution
The fish is native to the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean.
It is found from Maritime Southeast Asia east to to the Hawaiian Islands, Marquesan Islands, and Ducie Island; north to southern Japan; south to the Lord Howe and Rapa islands; and throughout Micronesia.
Taxonomy
In the Indian Ocean it is replaced by the Yellow Teardrop Butterflyfish (Chaetodon interruptus), now a separate species but previously considered a subspecies of Chaetodon unimaculatus.
In its subgenus Lepidochaetodon it is sometimes considered a separate genus. It is only distantly related to other Chaetodon species such as the Sunburst Butterflyfish (Chaetodon kleinii) and the Tahiti Butterflyfish (Chaetodon trichrous).
