Pacific double-saddle butterflyfish
Encyclopedia
The Pacific Double-saddle Butterflyfish or False Furcula Butterflyfish (Chaetodon ulietensis), is a species
of butterflyfish
(family
Chaetodontidae). It flourishes in coral
-rich environments in the Indo-Pacific
region. Their range extends from the Cocos-Keeling Islands to the Tuamotu Islands, and north to Japan
. They are usually found from the surface to 20 m depths, and like shallow channels with high current.
has a streak of yellow from the crown of the head to the tail. Like most of its relatives this species displays a black eye band like a mask. As in most butterflyfish, the Pacific double-saddle butterflyfish is prone to blanching at night and when startled.
It belongs to the large subgenus
Rabdophorus which might warrant recognition as a distinct genus
. In this group, the closest relative of this peculiar species is the similar-looking Black-wedged Butterflyfish, C. falcula. Other fairly close relatives are the quite differently-shaped but similarly-colored Lined
(C. lineolatus) and Spot-naped butterflyfishes (C. oxycephalus), while the Blue-cheeked Butterflyfish (C. semilarvatus) seems to be a far more basal lineage relative to all of these. The vertical lines are present in all of these, while a white body with yellow behind and black on back and caudal peduncle are only shared among the four less ancient species.
systems, foraging on sessile
invertebrate
s and algae. It is not a territorial species that freely grazes throughout a wide range within reefs, lagoon
s and harbors, and every now and then large groups congregate at rich feeding spots. It is rarely ever observed in a deep reef environment or the open sea; juveniles are typically reared in shallow lagoons, estuaries or harbors.
An opportunistic omnivore
, diet consists mainly of microscopic algae, other plankton
, and small sessile invertebrate
s. As a measure of defense, they typically wedge themselves in tight crevasses to escape predators.
and beneficial for the control of nuisance pests. The Pacific Double-saddle Butterflyfish has been observed as a beneficial predator of Aiptasia
and Majano sea anemone
s. Like most Raccoon Butterflyfish
(C. lunula), C. ulietensis will eliminate this nuisance within a 2- to 6-week period depending on the anemone population and size of the tank. And unlike most raccoon butterflyfish, this species rarely feeds on ornamental corals. The Pacific Double-saddle Butterflyfish readily accepts most prepared frozen and dry foods, thus it can easily make the transition to aquarium life, unlike the Copperband Butterflyfish
(Chelmon rostratus) or other less hardy Chaetodon species.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of butterflyfish
Butterflyfish
The butterflyfish are a group of conspicuous tropical marine fish of the family Chaetodontidae; the bannerfish and coralfish are also included in this group. Found mostly on the reefs of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, there are approximately 120 species in 10 genera...
(family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Chaetodontidae). It flourishes in coral
Coral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
-rich environments in the Indo-Pacific
Indo-Pacific
The Indo-Pacific is a biogeographic region of the Earth's seas, comprising the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the seas connecting the two in the general area of Indonesia...
region. Their range extends from the Cocos-Keeling Islands to the Tuamotu Islands, and north to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. They are usually found from the surface to 20 m depths, and like shallow channels with high current.
Description and systematics
These fish can reach a size of 15 cm (5.9 in). They are white with vertical thin black lines down the body and two dark saddles saddles on the fore and hind back, which softly grade into the background color bellywards gradient. Immediately after the hind quarter saddle, the body and tail is bright yellow with a black spot on the caudal peduncle. The dorsal finDorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...
has a streak of yellow from the crown of the head to the tail. Like most of its relatives this species displays a black eye band like a mask. As in most butterflyfish, the Pacific double-saddle butterflyfish is prone to blanching at night and when startled.
It belongs to the large subgenus
Subgenus
In biology, a subgenus is a taxonomic rank directly below genus.In zoology, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between the generic name and the specific epithet: e.g. the Tiger Cowry of the Indo-Pacific, Cypraea tigris Linnaeus, which...
Rabdophorus which might warrant recognition as a distinct genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
. In this group, the closest relative of this peculiar species is the similar-looking Black-wedged Butterflyfish, C. falcula. Other fairly close relatives are the quite differently-shaped but similarly-colored Lined
Lined butterflyfish
The Lined Butterflyfish is a butterflyfish , one of the largest species in the genus Chaetodon...
(C. lineolatus) and Spot-naped butterflyfishes (C. oxycephalus), while the Blue-cheeked Butterflyfish (C. semilarvatus) seems to be a far more basal lineage relative to all of these. The vertical lines are present in all of these, while a white body with yellow behind and black on back and caudal peduncle are only shared among the four less ancient species.
Ecology
C. ulietensis is often found singly or in pairs on coral-rich reefReef
In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....
systems, foraging on sessile
Sessility (zoology)
In zoology, sessility is a characteristic of animals which are not able to move about. They are usually permanently attached to a solid substrate of some kind, such as a part of a plant or dead tree trunk, a rock, or the hull of a ship in the case of barnacles. Corals lay down their own...
invertebrate
Invertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
s and algae. It is not a territorial species that freely grazes throughout a wide range within reefs, lagoon
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
s and harbors, and every now and then large groups congregate at rich feeding spots. It is rarely ever observed in a deep reef environment or the open sea; juveniles are typically reared in shallow lagoons, estuaries or harbors.
An opportunistic omnivore
Omnivore
Omnivores are species that eat both plants and animals as their primary food source...
, diet consists mainly of microscopic algae, other plankton
Plankton
Plankton are any drifting organisms that inhabit the pelagic zone of oceans, seas, or bodies of fresh water. That is, plankton are defined by their ecological niche rather than phylogenetic or taxonomic classification...
, and small sessile invertebrate
Invertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
s. As a measure of defense, they typically wedge themselves in tight crevasses to escape predators.
In the aquarium
Although common in the wild, it is rarely imported by the aquarium trade. In aquarist terms, it is considered a hardy ChaetodonChaetodon
Chaetodon is a tropical fish genus in the family Chaetodontidae. Like their relatives, they are known as "butterflyfish". This genus is by far the largest among the Chaetodontidae, with about 90 living species included here, though most might warrant recognition as distinct genera.Several subgenera...
and beneficial for the control of nuisance pests. The Pacific Double-saddle Butterflyfish has been observed as a beneficial predator of Aiptasia
Aiptasia
Aiptasia is a genus of a symbiotic cnidarian belonging to the class Anthozoa . Other well known cnidarian groups include the jellyfish , the hydroids , and the box jellyfish...
and Majano sea anemone
Sea anemone
Sea anemones are a group of water-dwelling, predatory animals of the order Actiniaria; they are named after the anemone, a terrestrial flower. Sea anemones are classified in the phylum Cnidaria, class Anthozoa, subclass Zoantharia. Anthozoa often have large polyps that allow for digestion of larger...
s. Like most Raccoon Butterflyfish
Raccoon butterflyfish
The raccoon butterflyfish, Chaetodon lunula, also known as the crescent-masked butterflyfish or lunule butterflyfish, is a species of butterflyfish . It is found in the Indo-Pacific region and in the southeast Atlantic...
(C. lunula), C. ulietensis will eliminate this nuisance within a 2- to 6-week period depending on the anemone population and size of the tank. And unlike most raccoon butterflyfish, this species rarely feeds on ornamental corals. The Pacific Double-saddle Butterflyfish readily accepts most prepared frozen and dry foods, thus it can easily make the transition to aquarium life, unlike the Copperband Butterflyfish
Copperband butterflyfish
The Copperband Butterflyfish, Chelmon rostratus, also commonly called the Beak Coralfish is found in reefs in both the Pacific and Indian Oceans. This butterflyfish is one of the three species in the genus Chelmon, all being known for having longer beaks.-Description:These fish are easily...
(Chelmon rostratus) or other less hardy Chaetodon species.