Racoon Butterflyfish

The Raccoon Butterflyfish (Chaetodon lunula) is a widespread Indo-Pacific butterflyfish named for the black 'mask' across its eyes, outlined in white, that recalls a raccoon's face. Behind the head a black band angles upward, and the body is yellow to orange with fine diagonal lines. Unusually for butterflyfish it is often active at dusk and night. It is a hardy, common reef fish frequently seen in pairs or small groups, and it is well known both to divers and in the aquarium trade.

Identify the Raccoon Butterflyfish by:

• A black eye 'mask' bordered by white, giving a raccoon-like face.
• A black band angling upward behind the head.
• Yellow to orange body with fine diagonal lines and a dark bar near the tail.
• Disc-shaped body, ~18-20 cm.

The white-bordered black eye mask over a yellow body is the key feature.

Raccoon Butterflyfish inhabit coral reefs, reef flats, and lagoons from the shallows to about 30 m across the tropical Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea and East Africa to Hawaii. They favour reefs with mixed coral and rock and tolerate a range of reef zones, often seen in pairs or aggregations.

Raccoon Butterflyfish are omnivores that feed on coral polyps, small invertebrates, worms, and algae, and are notable for being active into the evening and at night, when many butterflyfish rest. They occur singly, in pairs, or in small groups, and often shelter together by day. They spawn as pairs, releasing eggs into the water column above the reef.