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Vagabond Butterflyfish
Chaetodon vagabundus Linnaeus, 1758

A Vagabond Butterflyfish at a depth of 19m, Steve's Bommie, Ribbon Reef #3, Great Barrier Reef off Cooktown, December 2001. View larger image.

The Vagabond Butterflyfish has a white body with two series of narrow dark lines set at right angles. A broad black band passes through the eye and yellow horizontal lines cross the interorbital region. A black band is present at the rear of the body and another through the caudal fin. The soft dorsal, anal and caudal fins are yellow.

Juvenile Vagabond Butterflyfish resemble the adults, but have a black spot at the rear of the dorsal fin.

This species grows to 23cm in length.

Vagabond Butterflyfish inhabit coral reefs and lagoons, often in areas of high turbidity and freshwater influxes. This fish is usually seen in pairs or small groups.

It is found in depths from 1m to 30m.

The Vagabond Butterflyfish feeds on coral polyps, anemones, polychaete worms and algae.

This species occurs in tropical marine waters of the Indo-West and Central Pacific, from East Africa, north to Japan, south to Australia and east to the Tuamoto Islands.

In Australia it is known from the north-western coast of Western Australia, and the northern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland to the southern coast of New South Wales.

View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.

The Vagabond Butterflyfish is closely related to the Indian Vagabond Butterflyfish C.decussatus, which has dark pigmentation on the soft dorsal and anal fins. The Indian Vagabond Butterflyfish is not found in Australia.

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Vagabond Butterflyfish Chaetodon vagabundus Linnaeus, 1758

Further reading

Vagabond Butterflyfish
Chaetodon vagabundus Linnaeus, 1758