About Chaetodon collare Bloch, 1787
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
Chaetodon collare, commonly known as the red-tailed butterflyfish, brown butterflyfish, Pakistani butterflyfish, or redtail butterflyfish, is a species of marine ray-finned butterflyfish in the family Chaetodontidae.
Distribution
This species occurs on reefs in the Indo-west Pacific region, ranging from the Persian Gulf and Maldives east to Japan, the Philippines, and Indonesia.
Size and Depth Range
It typically swims at depths between 3 and 15 meters, and can reach a maximum length of 18 centimeters, over 7 inches.
Body Coloration
Its body color ranges from brown to black, with lighter scales that create a spotted appearance.
Head Markings
It has a distinct dark stripe across the eyes, a prominent vertical white stripe located behind the eyes, and a smaller additional white stripe located in front of the eyes.
Caudal Fin Markings
The base of its tail is bright red, this is followed by a black stripe, and the tip of the tail is soft diffuse white.
Wild Diet
In its wild natural habitat, the red-tailed butterflyfish feeds primarily on coral polyps.
Captive Diet
When kept in captivity, it is kept as a carnivore and accepts fish meat and shrimp as food.
