Raccoon Butterflyfish
Chaetodon lunula
Summary & Description 2
The raccoon butterflyfish (Chaetodon lunula), also known as the crescent-masked butterflyfish, lunule butterflyfish, halfmoon butterflyfish, moon butterflyfish, raccoon butterfly, raccoon, raccoon coralfish, and redstriped butterflyfish, is a species of butterflyfish (family Chaetodontidae).
Chaetodon lunula can reach a length of 20 cm (nearly 8 in). These large butterflyfishes have an oval outline, with a pattern of ascending oblique reddish stripes on the flanks and black and white bands over the face and eyes, similar to the raccoon mask (hence the common name). They show a black spot on the caudal peduncle and oblique yellow stripes behind the head. They have 10-14 dorsal spines and 3 anal spines.
Biology 3
Chaetodon lunula is a nocturnal species that usually lives in small groups. Adults feed mainly on nudibranchs and small invertebrates, but also on algae and coral polyps.
Habitat 4
This species prefers seaward reefs and shallow reef flats of lagoon, at a depth of over 30 m.
Distribution 4
This species can be found widely throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific region (East Africa to the Hawaiian and Marquesan islands, north to southern Japan) and in the southeast Atlantic (South Africa).
Notes 5
Juveniles travel via the East Australian Current to Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve, and can typically be found when water temperature is over 20 degrees Celsius
Sources and Credits
- (c) John Sear, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by John Sear
- Adapted by John Sear from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaetodon_lunula
- (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raccoon_butterflyfish
- Adapted by John Sear from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raccoon_butterflyfish
- (c) John Sear, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
