About Chaetodon pelewensis Kner, 1868
Chaetodon pelewensis has a dusky yellow body marked with diagonal stripes running across its body, and a vertical gold bar with black edges that passes through the eye. It has a black spot on its head. The stripes break apart into spots closer to the head and on the lower flanks. The edges of its fins are bright yellow, while the base of its caudal fin is bright orange. Its dorsal fin contains 13 to 14 spines and 22 to 25 soft rays, and its anal fin contains 3 spines and 17 to 18 soft rays. This species reaches a maximum total length of 12.5 centimetres, or 4.9 inches.
Chaetodon pelewensis occurs across the southern Pacific Ocean, ranging from Papua New Guinea to the Tuamotu Archipelago. It is abundant on the Great Barrier Reef and in the Coral Sea. In Australian waters, its range extends as far south as central New South Wales and Lord Howe Island.
This species lives on coral reefs, found at depths of at least 45 metres, or 148 ft. It feeds mostly on coral polyps, along with some benthic invertebrates. Chaetodon pelewensis is oviparous and monogamous, and breeds in pairs. It occasionally forms mixed pairs with the spotband butterflyfish, C. punctatofasciatus, and these two species are known to hybridize.
