Relevant synonyms None. Misidentification None. Meristic formula D, XI-XII+23-27; A, III+21-26; P, 15-16; V, I+5  photo : Daniel Golani

SHORT DESCRIPTION Body deep and very compressed. Small head with pointed snout. Small protractile slightly oblique mouth. Long and narrow tightly packed teeth forming brush-like surface at the anterior of both jaws. Large eye and narrow interorbital distance. A long continuous  dorsal fin with clear incisions between its 7th-8th spines. The posterior part of dorsal and anal fins is elongated giving the entire fish a triangular shape. Caudal fin round. Body covered with finely ctenoid scales including on the head and some of the median fins membranes. color : the anterior part of the head from the dorsal fin origin, behind the eye to pelvic fin origin brownish-orange. Most of the body bluish-grey with narrow chevron-shaped vertical yellow lines. Posterior part of dorsal fin, caudal peduncle and most of the caudal fin are black. Posterior edge of caudal fin light blue to white. size : common 8-12 cm (max. 15 cm). DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS The color pattern of this species differs significantly from all other Mediterranean species. BIOLOGY / ECOLOGY Live mainly in pairs but in areas with poor coral reefs, such as in the Gulf of Suez where it forms aggregations of 40-50 fish. Feeds primary on coral polyps and benthic invertebrates in its native region. Eggs and larvae pelagic. The late post-larvae, often called tholichthys, bear large bony plates on the head and anterior part of the body. habitat : among coral reefs, rocky and open habitats at depths down to 40 m.

1st MEDITERRANEAN RECORD Israel, 2011. DISTRIBUTION Worldwide : considered endemic to the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and possibly also in the Gulf of Oman. Mediterranean : Israel. ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS Very rare. speculated reasons for success : MODE OF INTRODUCTION Via the Suez Canal. IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS None.

KEY REFERENCES Allen G., Steene R. and Allen M., 1998. A Guide to Angelfishes and Butterflyfishes. Odyssey, Weast Parth, Australia. 250 pp. Salameh P., Sonin O., Edelis D. and Golani D., 2011. First record of the Red Sea Orangeface Butterflyfish Chaetodon larvatus Cuvier, 1831in the Mediterranean. Aquatic Invasions 6(1): S53-S55.   FEEDBACK / COMMENTS TO AUTHORS

Last update of the species sheet: November 2013 ©ciesm 2002