Chaetodon lunula is a popular aquarium fish that is fairly common in the Maldives, although it is patchily distributed.
Details
§ 01
size
Max. 12 cm
color
Background colour mustard yellow. Black eye bar, behind which is a broad crescent white band. A broad diagonal yellow edged black band from behind head to the dorsal fin base. A dark spot at base of tail extended upwards along base of dorsal fin.
order
Perciformes
family
Chaetodontidae
habitat and biology
Frequently observed in pairs or small clusters in depths ranging from shallow reef flats to a maximum of 25 m, this species feeds on a broad selection of invertebrates, algae, and coral polyps.
distinctive characters
This species has a dorsal fin with 11-13 spines and 22-25 rays, an anal fin with 3 spines and 17-19 rays, a pectoral fin with 15-16 rays, and a body depth of 1.4-1.8 times its standard length, with a snout that is subequal to the eye.