Foureye Butterflyfish

Organisms / Vertebrates / Fish

Chaetadon capistratus

Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary,  (24.545N, 81.407W)

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Photograph by Liza Habenicht/Andi Rettger

 

Descriptive Information

Field Marks: This fish has a large black spot with a white ring around it on the inferior caudal portion of the body.
Size: 6 inches (15 cm) long.
General Habitat: “Common on coral reefs and related inshore habitats” (Smith 543).
Range: “Bermuda, Atlantic Coast from Massachusetts to n South America, Bahamas, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean, including the Antilles”  (Smith).

Field Observations
We found this fish in shallow water on the backside of the Looe Key Marine Sanctuary. The picture shows this Foureye Butterflyfish with a Blue Tang, however, we usually saw the Foureye Butterflyfish swimming in pairs. These fish use their eyespot for self-preservation. The eyespot fools a predator in two different ways: it makes predators think that the fish is likely to head in the opposite direction and it often causes the predator to swallow the fish fin first which causes the spines on the dorsal fin to become embedded in the predator’s palate prompting it to spit the Foureye Butterflyfish out. These fish were not as wary of swimmers as some other fish, such as the Queen Angel.

References
Alden, Peter, Richard B. Cech, Amy Leventer, Gil Nelson, and Wendy B. Zomlefer. National Audubon Society Field Guide to Florida. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1998.

Smith, C. Lavett. National Audubon Society Field Guide to Tropical Marine Fishes. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1997.

Additional Photographs/Video

Page developed by Liza Habenicht and Andi Rettger