Species learning profile

Chelmon à bec médiocre

Chelmon rostratus

Copperband butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus) is a saltwater fish associated with reef habitat in Indo-Pacific. Its long narrow snout reaches prey hidden in coral crevices.

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Illustration originale de la collection Fishdle de Chelmon à bec médiocre
Source de l’illustration: Fishdle · CC BY 4.0

At a glance

Eau
Eau salée
Habitat
Récif
Longueur maximale
20 cm
Répartition
Indo-Pacifique
Famille
Chaetodontidae
Ordre
Perciformes

Observe

How to identify Chelmon à bec médiocre

  • Pearl white with orange bands and a false eyespot.
  • Thin and disk-shaped with a very long tweezer-like snout.
  • Reported maximum length: 20 cm — roughly ruler-length. Maximum is not the same as typical adult size.

Field note: color, size, and markings can change with age, sex, season, depth, and lighting. Use several traits together.

Place and pattern

Where it lives—and how it behaves

Habitat and range

This species is associated with reef habitat across Indo-Pacific. Reef crevices provide shelter while current, coral, algae, and neighboring animals supply food.

Behavior

Uses reef habitat for feeding, shelter, migration, or reproduction.

Food-web connections

What it eats and why it matters

Diet

A species-specific mix of plant material, plankton, invertebrates, or other fish.

Ecological role

Its feeding helps shape the balance among algae, coral, invertebrates, and other reef fish..

Remember

One fact worth keeping

Chelmon à bec médiocre peut atteindre environ 20 cm et vit souvent près de Récif.

Think like a conservationist

A conservation lens

Reef fish are affected by coral loss, warming, destructive fishing, pollution, and the removal of key grazers or predators.

This habitat lens is not a current population-status assessment. Status can differ among regions and change as new assessments are published; follow the reference links and local fisheries or wildlife agencies for current decisions.

Recall

Quick knowledge check

Which habitat is most closely associated with Copperband butterflyfish in this guide?

Keep exploring

References and further reading

Fishdle summarizes stable identification and ecology concepts in plain language. Taxonomy and population knowledge continue to change, so use primary assessments and regional authorities for conservation or management decisions.

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