Blackwedged butterflyfish (Chaetodon falcula)

General data

Main name: Blackwedged butterflyfish
Local names: Ffalcula butterflyfish
Climates: Tropical
Habitat: Saltwater
Native: Africa, Asia, Australia & Oceania
Distribution: Pacific Ocean, Indian ocean

Classification

Genus: Chaetodon - Chaetodon
Family: Chaetodontidae - Butterflyfishes
Order: Acanthuriformes - Surgeonfishes
Class: Teleostei - Ray-finned fishes
Superclass: Osteichthyes - Bony fishes

Description

Chaetodon falcula has a white body which is marked with a number of thin vertical dark grey lines. It has two clear black saddle-like blotches on the dorsal part of the body, a vertical black eye band and a black caudal peduncle. The dorsal, anal and caudal fins are yellow. The yellow continues onto the body adjacent to the dorsal and anal fins. There are 12–13 spines in the dorsal fin and 23–25 soft rays while the anal fin contains 3 spines and 20–21 soft rays. This species attains a total length of 20 centimetres (7.9 in). Chaetodon falcula is found in the Indian Ocean where it occurs along the East African coast between Kenya and South Africa, Madagascar and the other western and central islands of the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka, southern India, including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and from the waters of western Thailand east as far as Java. It occurs in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, which are part of Australia, too.

Taxonomy of Fishes

Osteichthyes - Bony fishes->
- Coelacanthi - Lobe-finned fishes->
- Teleostei - Ray-finned fishes->
  - Perciformes - Perches->
  - Cypriniformes - Carps->
  - Esociformes - Pikes->
  - Salmoniformes - Salmons and Trouts->
  - Siluriformes - Catfishes->
  - Scorpaeniformes - Mail-cheeked fishes->
  - Gasterosteiformes - Sticklebacks->
  - Gadiformes - Cods->
  - Anguilliformes - Eels and morays->
  - Clupeiformes - Herrings->
  - Syngnathiformes - Pipefishes and Seahorses->
  - Gobiiformes - Gobies->
  - Mugiliformes - Mullets->
  - Carangiformes - Jacks->
  - Beloniformes - Needlefishes->
  - Labriformes - Wrasses->
  - Scombriformes - Mackerels->
  - Mulliformes - Goatfishes->
  - Pleuronectiformes - Flatfishes->
  - Aulopiformes - Grinners->
  - Blenniiformes - Blennies->
  - Cyprinodontiformes - Toothcarps->
  - Osmeriformes - Smelts->
  - Centrarchiformes - Basses and sunfishes->
  - Cichliformes - Cichlids->
  - Characiformes - Characins->
  - Osteoglossiformes - Bony tongues->
  - Elopiformes - Tarpons and tenpounders->
  - Anabantiformes - Gouramies and snakeheads->
  - Gymnotiformes - South American knifefish->
  - Istiophoriformes - Barracudas->
  - Albuliformes - Bonefishes->
  - Lepidogalaxiiformes - Salamanderfishes->
  - Lophiiformes - Anglerfishes->
  - Spariformes - Breams and porgies->
  - Trachiniformes - Weeverfishes->
  - Moroniformes - Temperate basses->
  - Acanthuriformes - Surgeonfishes->
    
    Acanthuridae - Surgeonfishes->
    
    Sciaenidae - Drums->
    
    Pomacanthidae - Marine angelfish->
    
    Ephippidae - Spadefishes->
    
    Chaetodontidae - Butterflyfishes->
    
    Chelmon - Chelmon->
    
    Chaetodon - Chaetodon->
    
    Redtail butterflyfish (Chaetodon collare)
    
    Pacific double-saddle butterflyfish (Chaetodon ulietensis)
    
    Blackwedged butterflyfish (Chaetodon falcula)
    
    Threadfin butterflyfish (Chaetodon auriga)
    
    Foureye butterflyfish (Chaetodon capistratus)
    
    Philippine butterflyfish (Chaetodon adiergastos)
    
    Andaman butterflyfish (Chaetodon andamanensis)
    
    Asian butterflyfish (Chaetodon argentatus)
    
    West Australian butterflyfish (Chaetodon assarius)
    
    Golden butterflyfish (Chaetodon aureofasciatus)
    
    Oriental butterflyfish (Chaetodon auripes)
    
    Blacktail butterflyfish (Chaetodon austriacus)
    
    Eastern triangular butterflyfish (Chaetodon baronessa)
    
    Bluelashed butterflyfish (Chaetodon bennetti)
    
    Brownburnie (Chaetodon blackburnii)
    
    Burgess’ butterflyfish (Chaetodon burgessi)
    
    Speckled butterflyfish (Chaetodon citrinellus)
    
    Wrought iron butterflyfish (Chaetodon daedalma)
    
    Marquesas butterflyfish (Chaetodon declivis)
    
    Indian vagabond butterflyfish (Chaetodon decussatus)
    
    Oman butterflyfish (Chaetodon dialeucos)
    
    African butterflyfish (Chaetodon dolosus)
    
    Saddle butterflyfish (Chaetodon ephippium)
    
    Diagonal butterflyfish (Chaetodon fasciatus)
    
    Black butterflyfish (Chaetodon flavirostris)
    
    Yellow-crowned butterflyfish (Chaetodon flavocoronatus)
    
    Bluestriped butterflyfish (Chaetodon fremblii)
    
    Gardner’s butterflyfish (Chaetodon gardineri)
    
    Crochet butterflyfish (Chaetodon guentheri)
    
    Peppered butterflyfish (Chaetodon guttatissimus)
    
    Four-banded butterflyfish (Chaetodon hoefleri)
    
    Threebanded butterflyfish (Chaetodon humeralis)
    
    Yellow teardrop butterflyfish (Chaetodon interruptus)
    
    Sunburst butterflyfish (Chaetodon kleinii)
    
    Hooded butterflyfish (Chaetodon larvatus)
    
    Somali butterflyfish (Chaetodon leucopleura)
    
    Lined butterflyfish (Chaetodon lineolatus)
    
    Easter Island butterflyfish (Chaetodon litus)
    
    Raccoon butterflyfish (Chaetodon lunula)
    
    Oval butterflyfish (Chaetodon lunulatus)
    
    Seychelles butterflyfish (Chaetodon madagaskariensis)
    
    Doublesash butterflyfish (Chaetodon marleyi)
    
    Blackback butterflyfish (Chaetodon melannotus)
    
    Arabian butterflyfish (Chaetodon melapterus)
    
    Atoll butterflyfish (Chaetodon mertensii)
    
    White-face butterflyfish (Chaetodon mesoleucos)
    
    Scrawled butterflyfish (Chaetodon meyeri)
    
    Millet butterflyfish (Chaetodon miliaris)
    
    Indian butterflyfish (Chaetodon mitratus)
    
    Pebbled butterflyfish (Chaetodon multicinctus)
    
    Black-spotted butterflyfish (Chaetodon nigropunctatus)
    
    Japanese butterflyfish (Chaetodon nippon)
    
    Spotfin butterflyfish (Chaetodon ocellatus)
    
    Spot-tail butterflyfish (Chaetodon ocellicaudus)
    
    Eightband butterflyfish (Chaetodon octofasciatus)
    
    Ornate butterflyfish (Chaetodon ornatissimus)
    
    Spot-nape butterflyfish (Chaetodon oxycephalus)
    
    Eritrean butterflyfish (Chaetodon paucifasciatus)
    
    Sunset butterflyfish (Chaetodon pelewensis)
    
    Horseshoe butterflyfish (Chaetodon pictus)
    
    Blueblotch butterflyfish (Chaetodon plebeius)
    
    Spotband butterflyfish (Chaetodon punctatofasciatus)
    
    Fourspot butterflyfish (Chaetodon quadrimaculatus)
    
    Latticed butterflyfish (Chaetodon rafflesii)
    
    Rainford’s butterflyfish (Chaetodon rainfordi)
    
    Mailed butterflyfish (Chaetodon reticulatus)
    
    Three-banded butterflyfish (Chaetodon robustus)
    
    Saint Helena butterflyfish (Chaetodon sanctaehelenae)
    
    Reef butterflyfish (Chaetodon sedentarius)
    
    Yellow-dotted butterflyfish (Chaetodon selene)
    
    Dotted butterflyfish (Chaetodon semeion)
    
    Bluecheek butterflyfish (Chaetodon semilarvatus)
    
    Smith’s butterflyfish (Chaetodon smithi)
    
    Mirror butterflyfish (Chaetodon speculum)
    
    Banded butterflyfish (Chaetodon striatus)
    
    Hawaiian butterflyfish (Chaetodon tinkeri)
    
    Triangle butterflyfish (Chaetodon triangulum)
    
    Tahiti butterflyfish (Chaetodon trichrous)
    
    Three-striped butterflyfish (Chaetodon tricinctus)
    
    Chevron butterflyfish (Chaetodon trifascialis)
    
    Melon butterflyfish (Chaetodon trifasciatus)
    
    Teardrop butterflyfish (Chaetodon unimaculatus)
    
    Vagabond butterflyfish (Chaetodon vagabundus)
    
    Hongkong butterflyfish (Chaetodon wiebeli)
    
    Yellowhead butterflyfish (Chaetodon xanthocephalus)
    
    Pearlscale butterflyfish (Chaetodon xanthurus)
    
    Zanzibar butterflyfish (Chaetodon zanzibarensis)
    
    Amphichaetodon - Amphichaetodon->
    
    Chelmonops - Chelmonops->
    
    Hemitaurichthys - Hemitaurichthys->
    
    Coradion - Coradion->
    
    Forcipiger - Forcipiger->
    
    Heniochus - Heniochus->
    
    Johnrandallia - Johnrandallia->
    
    Parachaetodon - Parachaetodon->
    
    Prognathodes - Prognathodes->
    
    Roa - Roa->
    
    Siganidae - Rabbitfishes->
    
    Scatophagidae - Scats->
    
    Drepaneidae - Sicklefishes->
    
    Antigoniidae - Deepbody boarfishes->
    
    Caproidae - Boarfishes->
    
    Emmelichthyidae - Rovers->
    
    Leiognathidae - Slimys, slipmouths, or ponyfishes->
    
    Luvaridae - Louvar->
    
    Zanclidae - Moorish idol->
  - Zeiformes - Dories->
  - Tetraodontiformes - Puffers and filefishes->
  - Holocentriformes - Squirrelfishes->
  - Dactylopteriformes - Flying gurnards->
  - Lampriformes - Lamprids->
  - Galaxiiformes - Southern smelts->
  - Batrachoidiformes - Toadfishes->
  - Hiodontiformes - Mooneyes->
  - Percopsiformes - Trout-perches->
  - Callionymiformes - Dragonets->
  - Atheriniformes - Silversides->
  - Notacanthiformes - Spiny eels->
  - Saccopharyngiformes - Swallowers and Gulpers->
  - Alepocephaliformes - Slickheads and tubeshoulders->
  - Gonorynchiformes - Milkfishes->
  - Argentiniformes - Marine smelts->
  - Stomiiformes - Lightfishes and dragonfishes->
  - Ateleopodiformes - Jellynose fishes->
  - Myctophiformes - Lanternfishes->
  - Stylephoriformes - Tube-eyes->
  - Polymixiiformes - Beardfishes->
  - Beryciformes - Sawbellies->
  - Trachichthyiformes - Rughies->
  - Ophidiiformes - Cusk-eels->
  - Kurtiformes - Nurseryfishes & Cardinalfishes->
  - Synbranchiformes - Swamp eels->
  - Gobiesociformes - Clingfishes->
  - Acropomatiformes - Oceanic basses->
- Cladistii - Bichirs->
- Dipneusti - Lungfishes->
- Chondrostei - Sturgeons->
- Holostei - Gars and Bowfins->
Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes->
Agnatha - Jawless fishes->