Sealife guideThe spotfin butterflyfishChaetodon ocellatus
Last updated on 10/24/2025 at 06:45 PM
Taxonomy
English names
Spotfin butterflyfishTwo-spotted butterflyfish
French namesPoisson papillon ocellé
Spanish namesMariposa perla amarilla
Scientific nameChaetodon ocellatus (Bloch, 1787)
FamilyChaetodontidae
OrderAcanthuriformes
ClassActinopterygii
Geographic range
The spotfin butterflyfish inhabits tropical and subtropical waters of the northwestern Atlantic ocean, ranging from the Gulf of Maine southward to the Gulf of Mexico, including the Bahamas, Bermuda and the Caribbean.
The spotfin butterflyfish (Chaetodon ocellatus) © Tomstack7 | Dreamstime.com
Juveniles may drift farther north with the Gulf Stream, occasionally reaching temperate areas beyond their usual habitat range.
Did you know ?
The spotfin butterflyfish is listed as many other marine species within The IUCN Red List of threatened species. The spotfin butterflyfish appears in the IUCN Red List since 2010 within the category Least Concern !
Within the same genus
Within the same family
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