In the spotlight
What is El Niño?
A new El Niño event, described as “very strong”, is set to occur from this spring onwards.
Identity card
Pearlscale butterflyfish
- Scientific name:
- Chaetodon xanthurus
- Family:
- Chaetodontidae
- Class:
- Actinopterygii
- Phylum:
- Chordata
- Year of description:
- 1857, Bleeker
- IUCN Status:
- Least Concern
- Distribution:
-
Western Pacific: Philippines, Indonesia, as far as the Ryukyu Islands.
- Habitat:
-
Coral reefs, outer slopes, between 6 and 50 metres deep.
- Size:
Up to 14 cm.
- Diet:
-
Small benthic invertebrates and algae.
