About Chaetodon wiebeli Kaup, 1863
Body Shape
Chaetodon wiebeli Kaup, 1863 has an oval, deep, strongly compressed body.
Head and Dentition
Its head has matching height and width, with a short snout, small protractile mouth, and setiform teeth in its jaws. The genus name Chaetodon means "bristle tooth", a reference to this tooth shape.
Preopercle Trait
This species has a smooth preopercle with no prominent spines.
Body Coloration
Its body is mainly yellow, marked with oblique brown lines. A vertical black band runs through the eye, with a white bar immediately behind this band, and there is a black blotch on the forehead.
Fin Features
All of its fins—dorsal, anal, pelvic, and caudal—are yellow, though the caudal fin has a black margin. The dorsal fin has 12–13 spines and 22–25 soft rays, while the anal fin has 3 spines and 18–20 soft rays.
Maximum Size
This species reaches a maximum total length of 19 centimetres (7.5 in).
Distribution Range
Chaetodon wiebeli occurs in the western Pacific Ocean, ranging from southern Japan and South Korea to northern Java, and extending into the Gulf of Thailand.
Habitat
This species inhabits both rocky reefs and coral reefs, found at depths between 4 and 25 metres (13 to 82 ft).
Social Behaviour
It is most often encountered in pairs or small shoals, but may also be solitary.
Diet
It feeds on coral polyps, benthic invertebrates, and algae; its primary feeding method is grazing algae from rock surfaces.
Reproduction
Chaetodon wiebeli is an oviparous species that forms mating pairs during breeding.
