About Chaetodon punctatofasciatus Cuvier, 1831
Chaetodon punctatofasciatus, commonly called the spot-banded butterflyfish, reaches a maximum length of 12 centimeters. Its body is pale grey, with close-set grey spots. On the upper sides of the body, these spots align into vertical bands interspersed with yellow, while they form horizontal rows on the lower sides. The dorsal fin has a yellow margin, and a bright orange patch runs through the fish's caudal peduncle. This species occurs in the Indo-West Pacific region. Its range extends from Christmas Island in the eastern Indian Ocean east to the Line Islands, north to the Ryukyu Islands, and south to the Rowley Shoals and the northern Great Barrier Reef. It is also found throughout Micronesia. The close relative of the spot-banded butterflyfish, the peppered butterflyfish (C. guttatissimus), replaces it in most of the Indian Ocean. These two species are sympatric (occur in the same geographic area and coexist) between Christmas Island and Bali.
