Hawaiian Fishes 231 



specimens taken between 122 and 132 fathoms in the Hawaiian Islands. 

 It has never been recorded from any other area to our knowledge. 



THE BUTTERFLY FISH, CORAL FISH, 

 AND ANGEL FISH FAMILY 



102 Family Chaetodontidae 



The butterfly fishes are one of the most interesting groups of fishes 

 in the ocean. Noted for their queer forms, brilliant colors, and active 

 graceful movements, they add color and life to the coral rocks among 

 which they live. The members of the family are all greatly compressed 

 in shape and go through growth stages in which the young develop a 

 collar about the neck. 



They are carnivorous fishes and feed on small Crustacea, worms, and 

 other creatures which they pick up with their small mouth and brush-like 

 teeth. These fishes have but few enemies among the rocks where they 

 live. In addition to being quick in movement, they are very hard for 

 their enemies to swallow. 



The family of the butterfly fishes is fairly common in the waters of 

 the East Indies and are found throughout Polynesia. There are no 

 members of the family in European waters. 



Of more than 200 known species in this family, at least twenty-eight 

 species are known from Hawaiian waters. 



Butterfly Fish 



102-1 Chaetodon ephippium Cuvier 

 This species reaches a length of six or seven inches. It is found 

 from the East Indies, through Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia, along 

 Queensland, and as far north as the Hawaiian Islands. 



Kikikapu, Kapuhili, or Lauhau 



102-2 Chaetodon ornatissimus Cuvier 



Plate V, Figure 12 



This butterfly fish is one of the most showy species in Hawaiian 

 waters. The body is white and is marked with six or seven oblique orange- 

 brown stripes. The head is yellow in color and is marked with two or 

 three black vertical stripes. It varies in length from four to seven inches. 



This fish is distributed from the East Indies through Melanesia and 

 Micronesia to the Hawaiian Islands. 



