Chaetodon melapterus (Guichenot, 1863)
Chaetodon melapterus also known as Black-finned Melon Butterflyfish, Blackfin Butterflyfish and Arabian Butterflyfish is a piscine so stunningly gorgeous, but we daren’t look directly at it lest we succumb to its spell. This species is usually found in coastal reefs rich in coral growth interspersed with sand patches. C. melapterus lives in coral rich areas of shallow coastal reefs; occasionally in aggregations. They feed exclusively on coral polyps and nothing else. Maximum length is 13 cm in Persian Gulf (Kish Island, Iran). It is found at depths between 2-16 m. C. melapterus are usually encountered in pairs, but sometimes observed in larger aggregations numbering in excess of 20 individuals. C. melapterus is oviparous breeders and monogamous, they form pairs during breeding. Monitoring of this species is needed in conjunction with coral monitoring, as well as determination of the degree of co-dependence between this species and corals. C. melapterus is not recommended for reefs as they will pick at or eat a wide variety of corals, fan worms, and other invertebrates. C. melapterus are known to pick at Aiptaisia, a parasitic anemone.
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | other biblioteca |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Kish International Campus, Tehran University
2017-03
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| Subjects: | Biology, Ecology, Fisheries, Chaetodon melapterus, |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1834/35987 |
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