Chaetodon mertensii Atoll butterflyfish

Chaetodon mertensii is commonly referred to as Atoll butterflyfish. Difficulty in the aquarium: Solo per acquariofili esperti. A aquarium size of at least 1000 Liter is recommended. Toxicity: Toxic hazard unknown.

Scott & Jeanette Johnson, Kwajalein Unterwater

Copyright Scott & Jeannette Johnson, Kwajalein Underwater, Foto Marshall Islands, Kwajalein Atoll

Courtesy of the author Scott & Jeanette Johnson, Kwajalein Unterwater . Please visit www.underwaterkwaj.com for more information.

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lexID:: 461
AphiaID:: 273347

Scientific:: Chaetodon mertensii
German:: Atoll Butterflyfish, Atoll Butterflyfish, Merten's Butterflyfish, Merten's Coralfish, Orangebar Butterflyfish
English:: Atoll Butterflyfish

Category:: Pesci farfalla

Family tree:: Animalia (Kingdom) > Chordata (Phylum) > Actinopterygii (Class) > Perciformes (Order) > Chaetodontidae (Family) > Chaetodon (Genus) > mertensii (Species)
Initial determination:: Cuvier, 1831

Occurrence:: American Samoa, Austral Islands, Australia, Chile, Cook Islands, Easter Island (Rapa Nui), Fiji, French Polynesia, Gambier Islands, Great Barrier Reef, Guam, Indonesia, Japan, Line Islands, Lord Howe Island, Marschall Islands, Micronesia, Moorea, New Caledonia, New Guinea, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Ogasawara Islands, Palau, Papua, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Pitcairn Islands, Queensland (Australia), Rangiroa, Rapa, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tahiti, Taiwan, The Ryukyu Islands, the Society Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuamoto Islands, United States Minor Outlying Islands, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Wallis and Futuna
Sea depth:: 10 - 120 Meter
Size:: 4.33" - 4.72" (11cm - 12cm)
Temperature:: 75.2 °F - 82.4 °F (24°C - 28°C)
Food:: Brine Shrimps, Clam meat, Coral polyps = corallivorous, Flakes, Frozen Food (large sort), Mysis, Nori-Algae, Zooplankton
Tank:: 219.98 gal (~ 1000L)
Difficulty:: Solo per acquariofili esperti
Offspring:: Not available as offspring
Toxicity:: Toxic hazard unknown

CITES:

Not evaluated

Red List:

Least concern (LC)

Related species at Catalog of Life:

More related species in this lexicon:

Chaetodon sp.
Falterfisch

Author:: Meerwasser-Lexikon Team
Publisher:: Meerwasser-Lexikon.de
Created:: 2004-09-05 12:23:41
Last edit:: 2018-07-15 17:55:17

Info

Cuvier, 1831

Chaetodon mertensi is a very close relative to C. xanthurus und C. paucifasciatus. All members of this group have a similar painting. C. mertensi is the only one with a grey trapezoid shading. This shy fish is seldomly sold. In a tank with vegetable food good to keep.

Synonyms:
Chaetodon dixoni Regan, 1904
Chaetodon mertensi Cuvier, 1831

Classification: Biota > Animalia (Kingdom) > Chordata (Phylum) > Vertebrata (Subphylum) > Gnathostomata (Superclass) > Pisces (Superclass) > Actinopteri (Class) > Perciformes (Order) > Percoidei (Suborder) > Chaetodontidae (Family) > Chaetodon (Genus) > Chaetodon mertensii (Species)

External links

FishBase (multi). Abgerufen am 07.08.2020.
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (multi). Abgerufen am 07.08.2020.

Pictures

Commonly

Copyright Scott & Jeannette Johnson, Kwajalein Underwater, Foto Marshall Islands, Kwajalein Atoll

Husbandry know-how of owners

Heinz Mahler
@Heinz Mahler

am 19.12.08#3

Chaetodon mertensii, also known as Merten's Butterflyfish is widely distributed through the Indo-West Pacific, from Ryukyu Islands, south to the Philippines, Lord Howe Island, Tuamoto and Marshall Islands and found too around Easter Island.

Merten's Butterflyfish is easily recognised by its distinctive colouration. It is white with 6-7 black chevron-shaped markings on the body. The posterior portion of the body and dorsal, anal and caudal fins are yellow-orange. There is a black, silver-edged bar through them eye and a dark mark on the nape.

In the Sea, this fish is a feeder upon live coral polyps from hard stony corals, assorted benthic invertbrates, filamentous algae and possibly macroalgae too. Consequently this fish is NOT REEF SAFE in an aquarium in which live corals are being cultivated, and is unlikely to be safe with Zoanthids and certain other sessile invertebrates too! Can be migrated to more practical aquarium foods, but this may prove challenging.

Remarks:

Butterflyfish are not recommended for reefs as they will pick at or eat a wide variety of corals, fan worms, and other invertebrates. Most Butterflyfish are known to pick at Aiptaisia, a parasitic anemone.

Classification

Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Chaetodontidae
Genus: Chaetodon
Species: Chaetodon mertensii

Hiroyuki Tanaka
@Hiroyuki Tanaka

am 01.06.05#1

Indo-w.Pacific; 12 cm; not so common
Formerly two species, Indian Ocean form (*) was called C.madagaskariensis with a defined black spot on head, but now it is nominal; the Pacific form with obscure marking on head (photo) is rare in Japan, but common in Australia; easily kept

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