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
Threadfin butterflyfish
- Scientific name:
- Chaetodon auriga
- Family:
- Chaetodontidae
- Class:
- Actinopterygii
- Phylum:
- Chordata
- Year of description:
- Forsskål, 1775
- IUCN Status:
- Least Concern
- Distribution:
-
Red Sea, Indian Ocean, tropical western Pacific as far as Hawaii, French Polynesia, southern Japan, Lord Howe Island and Rapa Island.
- Habitat:
-
Coral reefs, lagoons, shoals, detrital or sandy bottoms, harbours and estuaries (for juveniles).
- Size:
Up to 25 cm.
- Diet:
-
Polychaetes, sea anemones, coral polyps, seaweed.
