Teardrop Butterflyfish

Chaetodon unimaculatus is a species of butterflyfish (family Chaetodontidae).

Description

Max length is 20 cm, common length is 16 cm. Pearly white fore-body with a teardrop-shaped black blotch in middle of yellow back; yellow dorsal, anal and ventral fins; black bands run through eye and down rear margin of dorsal and anal fins across tail base. C. interruptus, an Indian Ocean species not known from Australia, has yellow all over body.

Distribution

The fish is native to the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean. It is found from Maritime Southeast Asia east to the Hawaiian Islands, Marquesan Islands, and Ducie Island; north to southern Japan; south to the Lord Howe and Rapa islands; and throughout Micronesia.

Habitat

Occur in small groups in reef flats, clear lagoon and seaward reefs. Benthopelagic. Feed on soft and hard corals, also on polychaetes, small crustaceans, and filamentous algae. In Indonesia, usually seen at moderate depths, usually swimming in small groups. Adults are mainly in depth 20-60 m. Oviparous, monogamous. Form pairs during breeding.

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).