‹ Fish Finder· #109

Merten's Coralfish

Chaetodon mertensii

Bislamabataflaefis— names this kind of animal, not this species alone

Merten's Coralfish — photo 1 of 4
Photo 1 of 4 · Jeffrey T. Williams · Copyrighted free use · via Wikimedia Commons
uncommonblackwhiteyellowlinedsmallreef
Habitat
Reef
Max size
13 cm
Depth
0-120 m
Family
Chaetodontidae

Chaetodon mertensii, the atoll butterflyfish, yellowback butterflyfish or Merten's butterflyfish, is a species of marine ray finned fish, a butterflyfish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae. It is found in the western Pacific Ocean.

Adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Side by side, with what tells them apart.

Merten's Coralfish
This oneMerten's Coralfish
Chevron Butterflyfish
Look-alikeChevron Butterflyfish

Both are pale with dark chevrons pointing forward. Merten's Coralfish turns orange-yellow over the rear of the body and the tail, and its eye bar runs over the nape without a break. Chevron Butterflyfish stays pale to the tail base, and the tail itself is black with a yellow margin.

See the Chevron Butterflyfish →

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