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,FishBase (2006) 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.Blum (1988)
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.
Prognathodes, for some time contained in Chaetodon, is worthy of recognition as full genus, as is Roa.Kuiter, R. H. 2004. Description of a new species of butterflyfish, Roa australis, from northwestern Australia (Pisces: Perciformes: Chaetodontidae). Records of the Australian Museum v. 56 (no. 2): 167-171.
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: +CladesClade 1Clade 2Clade 3Clade 4C. robustus C. hoefleriC. kleini C. unimaculatus C. fremblii C. burgessi C. xanthurus C. paucifasciatus C. mertensi C. quadrimaculatus C. citrinellus C. multicinctus C. punctatofasciatus C. pelewensis C. sedentarius C. dolosus C. miliaris C. guentheriC. austriacus C. trifasciatus C. ornatissimus C. reticularis C. meyeri C. larvatus C. baronessa C. trifascialis C. rainfordi C. octofasciatus C. bennetti C. plebius C. speculum C. zanzibarensisC. austriacus C. trifasciatus C. ornatissimus C. reticularis C. meyeri C. larvatus C. baronessa C. trifascialis C. rainfordi C. octofasciatus C. bennetti C. plebius C. speculum C. zanzibarensis
Extant species There are currently 87 recognized species in this genus:
Chaetodon sensu stricto +SpeciesCommon nameImageChaetodon capistratus Linnaeus, 1758Foureye butterflyfishChaetodon ocellatus Bloch, 1787Spotfin butterflyfishChaetodon striatus Linnaeus, 1758Banded butterflyfish
C. robustus group +SpeciesCommon nameImageChaetodon hoefleri Steindachner, 1881Four-banded butterflyfishChaetodon robustus Günther, 1860Three-banded butterflyfish
Lepidochaetodon group +Subgenus ExornatorSpeciesCommon nameImageChaetodon citrinellus G. Cuvier, 1831Speckled butterflyfish, Citron butterflyfishChaetodon dolosus C. G. E. Ahl, 1923African butterflyfishChaetodon guentheri C. G. E. Ahl, 1923Crochet butterflyfishChaetodon guttatissimus E. T. Bennett, 1833Peppered butterflyfishChaetodon miliaris Quoy & Gaimard, 1825Millet butterflyfishChaetodon multicinctus A. Garrett, 1863Pebbled butterflyfishChaetodon pelewensis Kner, 1868Sunset butterflyfishChaetodon punctatofasciatus G. Cuvier, 1831Spotband butterflyfishChaetodon quadrimaculatus J. E. Gray, 1831Fourspot butterflyfishChaetodon sedentarius Poey, 1860Reef butterflyfish *Nota bene: including Burgessius, Heterochaetodon and possibly Rhombochaetodon; tentatively placed here. +Subgenus LepidochaetodonSpeciesCommon nameImageChaetodon daedalma D. S. Jordan & Fowler, 1902Wrought-iron butterflyfishChaetodon interruptus C. G. E. Ahl, 1923Yellow teardrop butterflyfishChaetodon kleinii Bloch, 1790Sunburst butterflyfish, black-lipped butterflyfish, Klein's butterflyfishChaetodon litus J. E. Randall & D. K. Caldwell, 1973Easter Island butterflyfishChaetodon nippon Steindachner & Döderlein (de), 1883Japanese butterflyfishChaetodon smithi J. E. Randall, 1975Smith's butterflyfishChaetodon trichrous Günther, 1874Tahiti butterflyfishChaetodon unimaculatus Bloch, 1787Teardrop butterflyfish *Nota bene: including Tifia. C. daedalma, C. litus, C. nippon, and C. smithi are tentatively placed here.
+Subgenus RhombochaetodonSpeciesCommon nameImageChaetodon argentatus H. M. Smith & Radcliffe, 1911Asian butterflyfishChaetodon blackburnii Desjardins, 1836BrownburnieChaetodon burgessi G. R. Allen & Starck, 1973Burgess' butterflyfishChaetodon declivis J. E. Randall, 1975Marquesas butterflyfishChaetodon flavocoronatus R. F. Myers, 1980Yellow-crowned butterflyfishChaetodon fremblii E. T. BennettBlue-striped butterflyfishChaetodon madagaskariensis C. G. E. Ahl, 1923Seychelles butterflyfishChaetodon mertensii G. Cuvier, 1831Atoll butterflyfishChaetodon mitratus Günther, 1860Indian butterflyfishChaetodon paucifasciatus C. G. E. Ahl, 1923Eritrean butterflyfish, crown butterflyfishChaetodon tinkeri L. P. Schultz, 1951Hawaiian butterflyfishChaetodon xanthurus Bleeker, 1857Pearlscale butterflyfish, Philippines chevron butterflyfish,
yellow-tailed butterflyfish 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 +Subgenus "Citharoedus"SpeciesCommon nameImageChaetodon meyeri Bloch & J. G. Schneider, 1801Scrawled butterflyfishChaetodon ornatissimus G. Cuvier, 1831Ornate butterflyfishChaetodon reticulatus G. Cuvier, 1831Mailed butterflyfish Nota bene: tentatively placed here. +Subgenus CorallochaetodonSpeciesCommon nameImageChaetodon austriacus Rüppell, 1836Blacktail butterflyfish, exquisite butterflyfishChaetodon lunulatus Quoy & Gaimard, 1825Redfin butterflyfish, oval butterflyfishChaetodon melapterus Guichenot, 1863Arabian butterflyfishChaetodon trifasciatus M. Park, 1797Indian redfin butterflyfish, melon butterflyfish Nota bene: tentatively placed here. +Subgenus DiscochaetodonSpeciesCommon nameImageChaetodon aureofasciatus W. J. Macleay, 1878Golden butterflyfishChaetodon octofasciatus Bloch, 1787Eightband butterflyfishChaetodon rainfordi McCulloch, 1923Rainford's butterflyfishChaetodon tricinctus Waite, 1901Three-striped butterflyfish Nota bene: C. tricinctus tentatively placed here in Discochaetodon. +Subgenus GonochaetodonSpeciesCommon nameImageChaetodon baronessa G. Cuvier, 1829Eastern triangle butterflyfishChaetodon larvatus G. Cuvier, 1831Hooded butterflyfishChaetodon triangulum G. Cuvier, 1831Triangle butterflyfish Nota bene: tentatively placed here. +Subgenus MegaprotodonSpeciesCommon nameImageChaetodon trifascialis Quoy & Gaimard, 1825Chevron butterflyfish, triangulate butterflyfish,
V-lined butterflyfish +Subgenus TetrachaetodonSpeciesCommon nameImageChaetodon andamanensis Kuiter & Debelius (de), 1999Andaman butterflyfishChaetodon bennetti G. Cuvier, 1831Bluelashed butterflyfishChaetodon plebeius G. Cuvier, 1831Blue-blotched butterflyfishChaetodon speculum G. Cuvier, 1831Mirror butterflyfishChaetodon zanzibarensis Playfair (fr), 1867Zanzibar butterflyfish Nota bene: C. andamanensis is tentatively placed here in Tetrachaetodon.
Rabdophorus group +SpeciesCommon nameImageAspilurochaetodonChaetodon gardineri Norman, 1939Gardner's butterflyfishChaetodon leucopleura Playfair, 1867Somali butterflyfishChaetodon selene Bleeker, 1853Yellow-dotted butterflyfishChaetodon adiergastos Seale, 1910Philippine butterflyfish, Panda butterflyfishChaetodon auriga Forsskål, 1775Threadfin butterflyfishChaetodon auripes D. S. Jordan & Snyder, 1901Oriental butterflyfishChaetodon collare Bloch, 1787Redtail butterflyfish, Pakistani butterflyfishChaetodon decussatus G. Cuvier, 1829Indian vagabond butterflyfishChaetodon ephippium G. Cuvier, 1831Saddle butterflyfishChaetodon falcula Bloch, 1795Blackwedged butterflyfishChaetodon fasciatus Forsskål, 1775Red Sea raccoon butterflyfish, diagonal butterflyfishChaetodon flavirostris Günther, 1874Black butterflyfishChaetodon lineolatus G. Cuvier, 1831Lined butterflyfishChaetodon lunula (Lacépède, 1802)Raccoon butterflyfish, crescent-masked butterflyfish, lunule butterflyfishChaetodon melannotus Bloch & J. G. Schneider, 1801Blackback butterflyfishChaetodon mesoleucos Forsskål, 1775White-faced butterflyfishChaetodon nigropunctatus Sauvage, 1880Black-spotted butterflyfishChaetodon ocellicaudus G. Cuvier, 1831Spot-tail butterflyfishChaetodon oxycephalus Bleeker, 1853Spot-naped butterflyfishChaetodon pictus Forsskål, 1775Horseshoe butterflyfishChaetodon rafflesii Anonymous [Bennett], 1830Latticed butterflyfishChaetodon semeion Bleeker, 1855Dotted butterflyfishChaetodon semilarvatus G. Cuvier, 1831Bluecheek butterflyfishChaetodon ulietensis G. Cuvier, 1831Pacific double-saddle butterflyfish, false falcula butterflyfishChaetodon vagabundus Linnaeus, 1758Vagabond butterflyfishChaetodon wiebeli Kaup, 1863Hong Kong butterflyfishChaetodon xanthocephalus E. T. Bennett, 1833Yellowhead butterflyfish 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 +SpeciesCommon nameImageChaetodon assarius Waite, 1905West Australian butterflyfishChaetodon dialeucos Salm & Mee, 1989Oman butterflyfishChaetodon humeralis Günther, 1860Threebanded butterflyfishChaetodon marleyi Regan, 1921Doublesash butterflyfishChaetodon sanctaehelenae Günther, 1868Saint Helena butterflyfish Nota bene: most are probably either Chaetodon sensu stricto or C. robustus group. Fossil species
The following fossil species are known:
Subgenus †Arambourgchaetodon †Chaetodon ficheuri Arambourg, 1927 (Late Miocene of Algeria) Subgenus †Blumchaetodon †Chaetodon wattsi Marramà, Giusberti & Carnevale, 2022 (Early Oligocene of Italy)
The species Chaetodon penniger Bogachev, 1964 from the late Oligocene of Azerbaijan cannot be confidently assigned to this genus due to the incompleteness of the fossil.
Evolution & fossil record The earliest confirmed specimens of Chaetodon are from Early Oligocene-aged coral reef deposits of Italy, belonging to the extinct species Chaetodon wattsi. This fossil is roughly concurrent when the family is thought to have radiated into its modern genus diversity. Indeterminate Chaetodon fossil specimens (including both articulated specimens and otoliths) referred to Chaetodon hoefleri are known from the Late Oligocene of Slovenia and the mid-late Miocene of Poland.
As it is not easy to distinguish this genus from close relatives, it may be that some Oligocene fossils are actually of other Chaetodontidae. The fossil record of this family is scant, with only Chelmon (or some similar genus like Chelmonops or Coradion) being known from Miocene remains. As even crude molecular clocks suggest that the ancestors of the Chaetodon and the Chelmops lineage diverged in the Late Eocene already, nothing more can be said without new fossils being discovered.Sepkoski (2002), Fessler & Westneat (2007)Paleobiology Database
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.