Foureye Butterflyfish

• GeneralA false eyespot near the tail leaves predators guessing which way it will bolt.
• The false eye at its rear confuses predators about the direction it is going to flee in; the real eye is camouflaged by a grey band.
• It is the type species of the genus Chaetodon: if the genus were ever split, it would keep this name.
• It is caught for the aquarium trade, although its specialised diet makes it hard to feed in captivity.

Skeleton type

Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bony fish)

Habitat and environment

Shallow coral reefs

Birth weight

A planktonic tholichthys-stage larva, with bony plates on the head

Size at birth

A millimetre-long planktonic larva; it settles on the reef after weeks adrift

Sexual maturity

From about 9.2 cm in length (FishBase)

Gestation / incubation

Oviparous with external fertilisation; spawning takes place in open water

Litter / clutch size

Pelagic spawner: it releases thousands of floating eggs

Life expectancy in captivity

Up to about 10 years in an aquarium

Sources consulted: FishBase; IUCN Red List (e.T165695A6094300); Florida Museum of Natural History; Universidad de las Indias Occidentales (ficha Chaetodon capistratus); Animal Diversity Web; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

Best time: All year round on the reefs of the Caribbean