Bluelashed butterflyfish
Chaetodon bennetti
The bluelashed butterflyfish is a species of butterflyfish . It is found in the Indo-Pacific from East Africa to the Pitcairn Islands, north to Japan and south to Lord Howe Island and Rapa Iti.
It grows to a maximum of 20 cm long. The body is yellow with a black patch surrounded by a blue circle below the dorsal fin and two curved blue lines above the belly. Its vertical black eyestripe is flanked by two blue lines.
Like the other butterflyfishes with angular yellow bodíes with black eyestripes and a single differently-colored patch, it belongs in the subgenus ''Tetrachaetodon''. Among this group it seems to be the most basal living species. If ''Chaetodon'' is split up, this subgenus would be placed in ''Megaprotodon''.
The bluelashed butterflyfish is found in seaward and lagoon reefs in areas with rich coral growth. Juveniles may be found in shallow ''Acropora'' thickets. Adults occur in pairs. This species feeds largely on coral polyps.
It grows to a maximum of 20 cm long. The body is yellow with a black patch surrounded by a blue circle below the dorsal fin and two curved blue lines above the belly. Its vertical black eyestripe is flanked by two blue lines.
Like the other butterflyfishes with angular yellow bodíes with black eyestripes and a single differently-colored patch, it belongs in the subgenus ''Tetrachaetodon''. Among this group it seems to be the most basal living species. If ''Chaetodon'' is split up, this subgenus would be placed in ''Megaprotodon''.
The bluelashed butterflyfish is found in seaward and lagoon reefs in areas with rich coral growth. Juveniles may be found in shallow ''Acropora'' thickets. Adults occur in pairs. This species feeds largely on coral polyps.