About Chaetodon punctatofasciatus Cuvier, 1831
Common Name and Maximum Length
Chaetodon punctatofasciatus, commonly called the spot-banded butterflyfish, reaches a maximum length of 12 centimeters.
Base Body Color and Markings
Its body is pale grey, with close-set grey spots.
Spot Arrangement by Body Region
On the upper sides of the body, these spots align into vertical bands interspersed with yellow, while they form horizontal rows on the lower sides.
Fin and Caudal Peduncle Coloration
The dorsal fin has a yellow margin, and a bright orange patch runs through the fish's caudal peduncle.
Broad Distribution Region
This species occurs in the Indo-West Pacific region.
Specific Range Extents
Its range extends from Christmas Island in the eastern Indian Ocean east to the Line Islands, north to the Ryukyu Islands, and south to the Rowley Shoals and the northern Great Barrier Reef.
Micronesia Distribution
It is also found throughout Micronesia.
Closely Related Replacement Species
The close relative of the spot-banded butterflyfish, the peppered butterflyfish (C. guttatissimus), replaces it in most of the Indian Ocean.
Sympatric Overlap Zone
These two species are sympatric (occur in the same geographic area and coexist) between Christmas Island and Bali.
