Chaetodon striatus Linnaeus, 1758

Maximum Length

Chaetodon striatus, commonly known as the banded butterflyfish, reaches a maximum length of approximately 16 centimeters, or 6.3 inches.

Fin Structure

Its dorsal fin contains 12 spines and between 19 and 21 soft rays, while its anal fin has 3 spines and between 16 and 17 soft rays.

Body Coloration

The fish has a silvery body marked with a thin black bar running through the eye, two broad black bars across its midsection, and a third broad black bar that starts at the rear of the dorsal fin and extends to the caudal peduncle.

Fin Coloration

Both the pelvic fins and the caudal fin are black.

Native Range

This species is native to the tropical and subtropical western Atlantic Ocean.

Depth Range

It occurs at depths down to around 55 meters, or 180 feet, though most individuals are found at depths of less than 20 meters, or 66 feet.

Distribution Details

Its distribution ranges from Massachusetts in the United States to Santa Catarina in Brazil, and it is also found in the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, Bermuda, and the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago.

Habitat

It is a benthic fish that inhabits coral reefs.