Banded Butterflyfish (Chaetodon striatus) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Butterbun, the Portuguese Butterfly, School Mistress, and Banded Mariposa are found in tropical western Atlantic waters from Brazil to Bermuda and ranges from Massachusetts in the United States to Santa Catarina in Brazi; including the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, Bermuda, and […]

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Latticed Butterflyfish (Chaetodon rafflesi) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as Raffle’s Butterflyfish is found in the Indo-Pacific region, from the Andaman Sea to the western Pacific and ranges from Sri Lanka to the Tuamotu Islands, north to southern Japan, south to the Great Barrier Reef, and from Palau (Belau) to the eastern Caroline Islands […]

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Sunset Butterflyfish (Chaetodon pelewensis) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as Dot Dash Butterflyfish, Dot-and-dash Butterflyfish, Spotbanded Butterflyfish, Pelewensis Butterflyfish, and erroneously the Punctato Butterflyfish, is found on coral reefs in the South Pacific Ocean. In the southern Pacific Ocean its range extends from Papua New Guinea to the Tuamotu Archipelago.   It is abundant in […]

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The Punctato Butterflyfish (Chaetodon punctatofasciatus), known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Dot Dash Butterflyfish, Spotband Butterflyfish, or Spot-band Butterflyfish, are found in the Indo West Pacific Ocean from Christmas Island in the eastern Indian Ocean to the Line Islands, north to the Ryukyu Islands, south to the Rowley Shoals and the northern Great […]

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The Big Longnose Butterflyfish (Forcipiger longirostris) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Longnose Butterflyfish, is found throughout tropical Indo Pacific waters. Its range extends from East Africa to the Hawaiian, Marquesan, and Pitcairn islands, north to the Bonin Islands, south to New Caledonia and the Austral Islands; throughout Micronesia. Big Longnose Butterflyfish are […]

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Zoster Butterflyfish (Hemitaurichthys zoster) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as Brown and White Butterflyfish, Black Pyramid Butterflyfish, or Brushtooth Butterflyfish are widespread throughout tropical and subtropical waters of the Indian Ocean. Their range extends from the east coast of Africa and Oman to the Andaman Sea and western Sumatra and south western Java, Indonesia […]

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Yellow Longnose Butterflyfish (Forcipiger flavissimus) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as Longnose Butterflyfish or Forceps Butterflyfish is common throughout tropical Indo Pacific waters.   Its range in the Indo Pacific extends from the Red Sea and East Africa to the Hawaiian and Easter Islands, north to southern Japan, south to Lord Howe Island and throughout […]

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The Multicolor Angelfish (Centropyge multicolor) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Multicolor Pygmy Angelfish, Pastel Pygmy Angelfish, Pearlback Angelfish, or Many Colored Angelfish is native to many of the island groups in the Western and Central Pacific Oceans. Their range extends from Palau; the Caroline Islands in both the Federated States of Micronesia […]

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Saddleback Butterflyfish (Chaetodon ephippium) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Saddled Butterflyfish or Saddle Butterflyfish is found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans from Sri Lanka and the Cocos-Keeling Islands to the Hawaiian, Marquesan and Tuamotu islands, north to southern Japan, south to Rowley Shoals and New South Wales in Australia. Adult Saddleback […]

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The Margined Butterfly (Chelmon marginalis) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Western Beaked Butterflyfish, Willemawillum, Three-Stripe Butterflyfish, Marginalis Butterflyfish, and Margined Coralfish is endemic to Australia and ranges from the Houtman Abrolhos in Western Australia, around the coasts of northern Australia to the northern Great Barrier Reef, and the reefs in the Coral […]

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Madagascar Butterflyfish (Chaetodon madagaskariensis) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Seychelles Butterflyfish, Madagascar Pearlscale Butterfly Fish, or Indian Ocean Chevron Butterflyfish is found in the Indian Ocean from eastern Africa, to as far south as Port Elizabeth in South Africa; east to the Australian territories of Christmas Island and Cocos Keeling Islands, and […]

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Copperband Butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Beaked Butterflyfish, Beaked Coralfish, or Orange Stripe Butterfly are found in the Western Pacific from Andaman Sea to the Ryukyu Islands, and Australia. Copperband Butterflyfish are usually encountered as single fish or in pairs in estuaries, silty inner reefs, and rocky shorelines of […]

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Mertensii Butterflyfish (Chaetodon mertensii) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as Chaetodon mertensii, the Atoll Butterflyfish, Yellowback Butterflyfish, Orangetail Butterflyfish, Crowned Pearlyscale Butterflyfish, Merten’s coralfish. and Merten’s Butterflyfish is found in the western Pacific Ocean, East Indian Ocean, West Indian Ocean, Australia, The Red Sea, and Indonesia. The Mertensii Butterflyfish was first discovered in the […]

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Pearlscale Butterflyfish (Chaetodon xanthurus) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as Yellow Tailed Butterflyfish, Crosshatch Butterflyfish or Philippines Chevron Butterflyfish is central Indo-Pacific region from Indonesia and the Philippines north to the Ryukyu Islands. Pearlscale Butterflyfish can be encountered alone, in pairs, and in small groups along drop offs in the clear, coastal outer reef […]

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Golden Semilarvatus Butterflyfish (Chaetodon semilarvatus) is known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts by a variety of names including; Bluecheek Butterflyfish, Addis Butterflyfish, Masked Butterflyfish, Blue Cheeked Butterflyfish, Bluemask Butterflyfish, Coralfish, Golden Butterflyfish, Golden Masked Butterflyfish, Red-lined Butterflyfish, Red Sea Butterflyfish, Red Sea Golden Butterflyfish, Semilarvatus Butterfly, and Yellow Butterflyfish. Found in the Northwestern Indian Ocean, […]

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Wrought Iron Butterflyfish (Chaetodon daedalmahe) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as Black Silk Butterflyfish are found in the Northwest Pacific Ocean around central and southern Japan, primarily around the main islands of Japan south of Sagami Bay; notably Ryukyu, Bonin, and the Ogasawara and Izu Islands, where they are endemic. Wrought Iron Butterflyfish are […]

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Black Triggerfish (Melichthys niger) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as Hawaiian Black Trigger, Black Durgon, Black Finned Triggerfish, or in Hawaiian, Humuhumu’ele’ele are found worldwide in Tropical Atlantic/Caribbean, Tropical Eastern Pacific, and Tropical Indo Pacific waters. Its range extends from Hawaii, up through Polynesia, westward to the East Indies and across the Indian Ocean. […]

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Indian Trigger (Melichthys indicus) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as Black Finned Triggerfish or Indian Black Triggerfish are found throughout the Indian Ocean.   Its range extends from the Red Sea and East Africa, eastward to western Thailand and Sumatra, Indonesia, and the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Indian triggerfish have never been found near […]

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Sohal Tang (Acanthurus sohal) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as Arabian Tang, Sohal surgeonfish, Zebra Surgeon, Majestic Tang, Majestic Surgeon, Zebra tang, or Red Sea Clown Surgeon is found in the northwestern Indian Ocean where its range extends to the Red Sea, east along the coast of the Arabian Peninsula, to the Persian Gulf. […]

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Crosshatch Triggerfish (Xanthichthys mento) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Blue Cheekline Trigger, Redtail Triggerfish, or (erroneusly) the Blue Throat Triggerfish is found throughout tropical and sub-tropical Eastern and Western Pacific Oceans. Its range extends from southern Japan, Hawaiian Islands, Clipperton Island, Revillagigedo Islands, to southern California, Easter Island, and Pitcairn Islands. Crosshatch […]

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