Butterflyfishes
Foureye Butterflyfish
Chaetodon capistratus
Species Overview
Light gray body shading to pale yellowish sides, crossed by thin dark diagonal lines that meet at mid-side in forward-pointing chevrons; large white-ringed black eyespot below the rear of the dorsal fin; black bar on the head; yellow pelvic fins; protruding snout gives a steep, slightly concave head profile; dorsal fin 13 spines, 17–20 soft rays.
- Size
- Typical adult 8–10 cm [3–4 in] (ReefGuide); maximum recorded 15 cm TL [5.9 in] (FishBase).
- Depth range
- 2–20 m (FishBase); ReefGuide 3–18 m.
- Habitat
- Shallow coral reefs; reef-associated, non-migratory.
- Diet
- Mainly zoantharians, polychaete worms, gorgonians and tunicates (FishBase).
- Range
- Caribbean, Bahamas, Florida, Gulf of America (Mexico), Bermuda, Antilles; western Atlantic from Massachusetts and Bermuda to the West Indies and northern South America.
Ecological role
Invertebrate predator of soft-bodied reef animals such as zoanthids, gorgonians, worms and tunicates (FishBase).
Explore reef conservation
Learn about Caribbean reef habitats, invasive lionfish and the work of the Caribbean Reef Fish Foundation.
TL means total length; SL excludes the tail fin; FL measures to the tail fork. These measurements are not interchangeable.