Chaetodon rainfordi
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| Chaetodon rainfordi | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Acanthuriformes |
| Family: | Chaetodontidae |
| Genus: | Chaetodon |
| Subgenus: | Chaetodon (Discochaetodon) |
| Species: | C. rainfordi |
| Binomial name | |
| Chaetodon rainfordi McCulloch, 1923 | |
Chaetodon rainfordi, Rainfords's butterflyfish, also known as the gold-barred butterflyfish or the Northern butterflyfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish, belonging to the family Chaetodontidae. It is found in the southwestern Pacific Ocean where it is associated with coral reefs.
Chaetodon rainfordi may be distinguished by its colour compared to related species of fish. The basic colour of yellow with an orange bar, with dark edges, which runs through the eye and another thinner orange bar which goes through the base of the pectoral fin. There are then two blue-grey bands edged with yellow-orange on the body.[2] There is normally a black spot on the caudal peduncle. The gold bands on the body often found on each side of the wider diffuse dark bars.[3] The dorsal, anal and pectoral fins are yellow.[4] The dorsal fin contains 10-11 spines and 20-22 soft rays while the anal fin has 3 spines and 17-19 soft rays. This species attains a maximum total length of 15 centimetres (5.9 in).[5]
Distribution
Chaetodon rainfordi is found in the south western Pacific Ocean. It is found off southern Papua New Guinea, along the Great Barrier Reef off Queensland, south to the Solitary Islands and the Surgeons Reef off Red Rock, New South Wales. It is also found off Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea.[6]
Habitat and biology
Chaetodon rainfordi lives among coastal and offshore reefs, at depths between 5 and 20 metres (16 and 66 ft),[1] where there is a sparse growth of corals.[5] The juveniles live among branching corals.[6] It is an obligate corallivore, feeding only on coral polyps.[1] It is an oviparous species which forms pairs for breeding.[5]