The black spot on the back of their bodies has earned them the name black-saddle butterflyfish.
Identity card
Saddle butterflyfish
- Scientific name:
- Chaetodon ephippium
- Family:
- Chaetodontidae
- Class:
- Actinopterygii
- Phylum:
- Chordata
- Year of description:
- Cuvier, 1831
- IUCN Status:
- Least Concern
- Distribution:
-
Indo-Pacific: Sri Lanka to Indonesia, as far as Hawaii, the Marquesas Islands, and the Tuamotu Archipelago; from southern Japan to New South Wales (Australia) and Rapa.
- Habitat:
-
Between 0 and 30 metres, in rich coral reefs, clear waters: lagoons, outer slopes.
- Size:
Between 20 and 24 cm, 30 cm max.
- Diet:
-
Filamentous algae, coral polyps, invertebrates, fish eggs and crustaceans.
