Chaetodon guttatissimus Bennett, 1833

Body Markings

The peppered butterflyfish, Chaetodon guttatissimus Bennett, 1833, has a silvery white body marked with irregular vertical rows of dark spots or speckles on its flanks. These markings shift to a more horizontal orientation on the lower flanks. A thin, vertical dark bar runs through the eye.

Fin Colouration and Size

The rear of the dorsal fin bears an orange bar that extends to the upper part of the caudal peduncle. The caudal fin has a black submarginal band, and the dorsal fin has a yellow margin. Its dorsal fin contains 12 to 13 spines and 22 to 24 soft rays, while the anal fin has 3 spines and 16 to 18 soft rays. This species reaches a maximum total length of 12 centimetres (4.7 in).

Distribution

The peppered butterflyfish is found only in the Indian Ocean.

Range

Its range extends along the East African coast from Somalia to South Africa, and stretches east across the Indian Ocean as far as Bali in Indonesia, and the Australian territories of Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. It appears to avoid the mainland coasts of Southern Asia, but occurs in the Maldives, off Sri Lanka, around the Indian Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and around other islands in the Andaman Sea.

Habitat and Behavior

This species inhabits coral-rich areas of lagoons and seaward reef slopes. It occurs as solitary individuals, in pairs, and occasionally in small schools.

Diet and Reproduction

It feeds on invertebrates such as polychaetes, as well as on algae. A large portion of its diet consists of coral polyps, and it may be an obligate coral eater. It is an oviparous species that breeds in pairs.