About Chaetodon madagaskariensis Ahl, 1923
Taxonomy
The Seychelles butterflyfish, with the scientific name Chaetodon madagaskariensis Ahl, 1923, is a species of marine ray-finned butterflyfish that belongs to the family Chaetodontidae.
Distribution
This species occurs in the Indian Ocean, ranging from eastern Africa as far south as Port Elizabeth, South Africa, eastwards to the Cocos-Keeling Islands and Christmas Island, and northwards to Sri Lanka.
Habitat
Seychelles butterflyfish live on seaward reefs with abundant coral growth, at depths between 10 and 40 meters.
Size
This fish reaches a maximum length of 13 centimeters, which is over 5 inches.
Baseline Coloration
Its coloration is silver on the head, fading to white toward the tail, with a triangular orange patch covering the posterior body and caudal peduncle.
Body Markings
The sides of the body have a series of dark grey chevron-shaped lines that are partially broken into spots.
Head Marking
There is a black patch rimmed with white between the eyes and the origin of the dorsal fin.
Caudal Fin Coloration
The base of the caudal fin is white, followed by an orange patch and a white outer rim.
