Chaetodon quadrimaculatus

Four-spotted butterflyfish
Chaetodon quadrimaculatus
Chaetodon quadrimaculatus, adult, Tuamotu Achipelago, Photo: Antonia Cooper

Distribution

Tropical Eastern Pacific, Tropical Indo-Pacific


Description

Predominately yellow with large black saddle covering the top half of the body. Two white blotches are visible on the black saddle with the rear blotch, often yellow, extending down into the yellow lower body. Black caudal peduncle, dark bar over the eye and iridescent blue lines on the anal and rear dorsal fins.


Information

Max Size: 16 cm

Sea Temperature Range: 23.5-30°C

Depth: 2-45

Habitat Generalization Index: 6.38

Also referred to as the SGI (Species Generalisation Index), this describes the habitat niche breadth of the species. Species with values less than 15 are found in a relatively narrow range of reef habitat types (specialists), while those over 25 may be found on most hard substrates within their range (generalists). Learn more here.


Conservation and Rarity

IUCN Status: Least Concern

Occurrence: Infrequent (8.0% of sites)

Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed

Abundance: Few (3 per transect)

Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.


Edit by: Antonia Cooper