Common Name: Ornate Butterflyfish

Distribution: Uncommon in the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific region, from Sri Lanka to the Hawaiian Islands, north to southern Japan, throughout Micronesia and south to Lord Howe Island on the east coast of Australia. In Australia recorded from around Exmouth in Western Australia north to the Timor Sea, throughout the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea, south to central New South Wales, and including Lord Howe Island.

Ecological Notes: Common only in clear water coral rich areas of seaward reefs and lagoons. Depth to at least 36 m.

Additional Notes: Pale body with distinct diagonal gold striped pattern. Adults usually in pairs, juveniles secretive among branching corals. Feeds exclusively on coral tissue, form pairs during breeding. Grows to 20 cm.

References: R. Stuart-Smith, G. Edgar, A. Green, I. Shaw, Tropical Marine Fishes of Australia. Reed New Holland Publishers, 2015. p.207.

FishBase. Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2018. World Wide Web electronic publication. http://fishbase.ca/summary/Chaetodon-ornatissimus.html. Accessed 11/05/18.

Atlas of Living Australia website at https://bie.ala.org.au/search?q=chaetodon+ornatissimus. Accessed 11/05/18.