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Threadfin Butterflyfish
Chaetodon auriga Forsskål, 1775
A Threadfin Butterflyfish at a depth of 25 m, Tijou Reef, far northern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, December 1999. Photo © E. Schlögl. View larger image.
A Threadfin Butterflyfish at a depth of 20 m, North Solitary Island, New South Wales, January 2003. Photo © I. Shaw. View larger image.
The Threadfin Butterflyfish can be recognised by its colouration and by the filament trailing from the soft dorsal fin of adults.
The body is white with dark chevron-shaped markings. The rear of the body and caudal peduncle are yellow. There is a dark spot on the soft dorsal fin and a black bar through the eye.
It grows to 20 cm in length.
This species occurs in coral reef and inshore waters of the Indo-west and Central Pacific.
In Australia it is known from south-western Western Australia, around the tropical north of the country and south to the southern coast of New South Wales.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
This species had also been called the Threadfin Coralfish.
Related links
- Chevroned Butterflyfish fact sheet
- Merten's Butterflyfish fact sheet
- Redfin Butterflyfish fact sheet
- View the Butterflyfishes list
Further reading
- Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
- Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
- Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.
