Bluespot Butterflyfish

Chaetodon plebeius is a fish native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Description

It has a brilliant yellow body with a large elongated blue patch on its upper middle sides, a black spot edged in bluish white at the caudal peduncle, a black eye band also edged in bluish white, with the dorsal, anal, pelvic and tail fins bright yellow. Juveniles lack the blue patch on the sides of the body.

Distribution

Western Pacific: Andaman Sea to Fiji, north to Japan, south to Australia. Recently reported from Tonga.

Habitat

It inhabits shallow coral rich lagoons, reef slopes and reef faces at depths between 3 to 50 feet (1 – 15 m) and feeds mainly on stony coral polyps, i.e., Acropora and Pocillopora, along with minor amounts of filamentous algae. It feeds mainly on polyps of Acropora corals in lagoons and outer reefs. Oviparous, monogamous. Form pairs during breeding. It cleans parasites from other fishes.