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🌊 Marine Least Concern 🐠 Aquarium 🌡️ Tropical

African butterflyfish

Chaetodon dolosus Ahl, 1923
Max Length
15 cm
Max Weight
-
Lifespan
-
Trophic Level
2.8
Depth
40–200 m
Climate
Tropical
Resilience
High
Vulnerability
16.00/100
Typical Length
-
Depth Zone
reef

📖 Overview

Inhabit deep offshore reefs, over rocks and coral rubble . Usually paired, occasionally seen with C. mitratus . Omnivorous. Oviparous . Form pairs during breeding .

Scientific Name
Chaetodon dolosus
Authority
Ahl, 1923
Habitat
Marine
Climate
Tropical
Body Shape
Short and / or deep
IUCN Status
LC
Max Length
15 cm
Depth Range
40–200 m
Trophic Level
2.8
Resilience
High
Vulnerability
16.00/100
Salinity
30–40 ppt

🔬 Taxonomy

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal spines (total): 12 - 13; Dorsal soft rays (total): 21 - 22; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 18 - 19. Rear part of body, dorsal and anal fins blackish; caudal fin yellow; dorsal and anal fin edges white; dark eyeband connected at nape . Juveniles pale olive green with vertical rows of small brownish spots; middle of soft dorsal rays with black blotch .: short and / or deep.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for African butterflyfish is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

aquatic invertebrates
small fish
algae
detritus

🥚 Reproduction

🐣 Oviparous 📦 Batch Spawner
Spawning Season
spring-summer
Spawn Location
Pelagic
Fertilization
External

Form pairs during breeding .

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 40 - 200 m . Tropical south to Natal, South Africa and east to Madagascar, Seychelles, Mauritius and Reunion.

🌿 Ecology

Zone Preferences
🌊 Marine 🪸 Reef Associated
Trophic Level
2.8±0.25

📐 Morphometrics

Length–Weight Relationship: W = 0.02291 × L3 (TL)
Max TL
15cm
Dorsal Spines
13
Dorsal Rays
22
Anal Spines
3
Anal Rays
19

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

Salinity Range
30–40ppt

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

IUCN Category
Least Concern
Assessment Date
2009

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

Population Resilience
High
Minimum doubling time
Fishing Vulnerability
16.00/100
Low vulnerability
Trophic Level
2.8
Omnivore / Planktivore
Body Shape
Short and / or deep
Climate Zone
Tropical
Described By
Ahl, 1923

🌐 Names & Taxonomy

Scientific Synonyms

Scientific Name Author Year Status
Chaetodon mendoncae Smith 1953 Synonym
Heterochaetodon heterochaetodon dolosus Ahl 1923 Synonym

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 1 records indexed .

Occurrence density from GBIF View GBIF records ↗

👥 Community & Contribute

Aquareap Community Observations
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