Raccoon butterflyfish
Chaetodon lunula
Quick Facts
- Size:
- up to 20 cm
- Depth:
- 1–60 m
- Family:
- Chaetodontidae
- Type:
- Fish
- Activity:
- Diurnal
- Habitat:
- Indian Ocean; Pacific Ocean; Red Sea; Andaman Sea
- Conservation status:
- Least Concern (LC) — not threatened with extinction according to IUCN assessment
The raccoon butterflyfish, also known as the lunula (Chaetodon lunula), is a species in the butterflyfish family (Chaetodontidae) with distinctive, memorable coloration. It lives in the warm waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The name comes from the unique black striped pattern around the eyes, which looks like a raccoon mask.
This butterflyfish has typical yellow-and-white body colour with a dark patch around the eyes. These fish usually grow to about 20 cm and prefer coral reefs at depths of 1 to 30 metres.
The raccoon butterflyfish is a predator; its main food is coral polyps, jellyfish and other invertebrates.