IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Chaetodon trifascialis

Kent Carpenter (IUCN SSC Global Marine Species Assessment, Old Dominion University, Virginia, US); Morgan Pratchett (James Cook University, Queensland, Australia)

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Chaetodon trifascialis

Abstract

Chaetodon trifascialis has most recently been assessed for The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2009. Chaetodon trifascialis is listed as Near Threatened.

The Red list Assessmenti

Carpenter, K.E. & Pratchett, M. 2010. Chaetodon trifascialis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010: e.T165712A6098323. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T165712A6098323.en. Accessed on 15 March 2022.

Last assessed

06 October 2009

Scope of assessment

Global

Population trend

Decreasing

Number of mature individuals

Habitat and ecology

Marine Neritic

Geographic range

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) 2010. Chaetodon trifascialis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2021-3

Taxonomy

Taxonomy in detail

Scientific name

Chaetodon trifascialis

Authority

Quoy & Gaimard, 1825

Synonyms

Chaetodon bifascialis Cuvier, 1829

Chaetodon leachii Cuvier, 1831

Chaetodon striangulus Cuvier, 1831

Chaetodon strigangulus Lay & Bennett, 1839

Chaetodon strigangulus Cuvier, 1831

Chaetodon tearlachi Curtiss, 1938

Chaetodon triangularis Rüppell, 1829

Eteira taunayi Kaup, 1860

Megaprotodon strigangulus (Cuvier, 1831)

Megaprotodon trifascialis (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825)

Common names

English

Acropora Butterfly, Chevron Butterflyfish, Chevron Butterflyfish, Chevroned Butterflyfish, Rightangle Butterflyfish, Triangulate Butterflyfish, V-lined Butterflyfish

Danish

Vinkel-fanefisk

Japanese

Yarikatagi

Undetermined

Alibang-bang, Alibangbang, Bagang, Pakkikkadiya, Paraharaha, Paru-paro, Paru-parung dagat, Reghoekige vlindervis, Ribob, Tetapeh, Tifitifi-sae'u, പക്കി ക്കടിയ , പക്കിക്കടിയന്

Taxonomic sources

Identification Information

Taxonomic notes

Assessment Information

IUCN Red List Category and Criteria

Near Threatened

ver 3.1

Date assessed

06 October 2009

Year published

2010

Annotations

Needs updating

Assessment Information in detail

Year last seen

Previously published Red List assessments

Regional assessments

Assessor(s)

Carpenter, K.E. & Pratchett, M.

Reviewer(s)

Elfes, C., Polidoro, B., Livingstone, S. & Carpenter, K.E.

Contributor(s)

Facilitator(s) / Compiler(s)

Partner(s) / Institution(s)

Authority / Authorities

Justification

This is a widespread species with a strong dependency on corals that have undergone widespread population declines ranging from 20 to 37% because of coral reef loss. It has been eliminated on reefs that undergo massive bleaching events. Chaetodon trifascialis has a strong dependency on a species of coral (Acropora hyacinthus) that is listed as Near Threatened and although it has been seen to feed on at least 14 other coral species variously listed as Least Concern (seven species), Near Threatened (six species) and Vulnerable (one species), all of these corals have shown substantial population declines because of coral reef loss throughout the Indo-Pacific. We infer that population declines of C. trifascialis are similar to those of A. hyacinthus (and other species it feeds on) and therefore list this species as Near Threatened (nearly meeting VU A3ce with an estimated generation length of between six and seven years).

Geographic Range

Native

Extant (resident)

American Samoa; Australia (Lord Howe Is.); Bangladesh; British Indian Ocean Territory; China; Christmas Island; Cocos (Keeling) Islands; Comoros; Cook Islands; Djibouti; Egypt; Eritrea; Fiji; French Polynesia; French Southern Territories (Mozambique Channel Is.); Guam; India (Nicobar Is., Andaman Is.); Indonesia; Israel; Japan; Jordan; Kenya; Kiribati (Kiribati Line Is., Phoenix Is.); Madagascar; Malaysia; Maldives; Marshall Islands; Mauritius; Mayotte; Micronesia, Federated States of ; Mozambique; Myanmar; Nauru; New Caledonia; Niue; Norfolk Island; Northern Mariana Islands; Oman; Palau; Papua New Guinea; Philippines; Réunion; Samoa; Saudi Arabia; Seychelles; Singapore; Solomon Islands; Somalia; South Africa; Sri Lanka; Sudan; Taiwan, Province of China; Tanzania, United Republic of; Thailand; Tokelau; Tonga; Tuvalu; United States Minor Outlying Islands (US Line Is., Johnston I., Howland-Baker Is.); Vanuatu; Viet Nam; Wallis and Futuna; Yemen

Extant & Vagrant

United States (Hawaiian Is.)

Number of locations

Upper depth limit

2 metres

Lower depth limit

30 metres

Geographic Range in detail

FAO Fishing Areas

Origin	Locations
Native	Indian Ocean - western
Native	Pacific - eastern central
Native	Pacific - northwest
Native	Indian Ocean - eastern
Native	Pacific - southwest
Native	Pacific - western central

Estimated area of occupancy (AOO) (km²)

Continuing decline in area of occupancy (AOO)

Extreme fluctuations in area of occupancy (AOO)

Estimated extent of occurrence (EOO) (km²)

Continuing decline in extent of occurrence (EOO)

Extreme fluctuations in extent of occurrence (EOO)

Continuing decline in number of locations

Extreme fluctuations in the number of locations

Range Description

This species is very widespread throughout the Indo-west and central Pacific, from the Red Sea to the Society Islands. North to southern Japan, and south to Lord Howe Island and Rapa (Pyle 2001, G.R. Allen pers. comm. 2006). It has been recorded as a vagrant from the Hawaiian Islands. The range size is ~76.2 million km², from values estimated by Jones et al. (2002) based on projections of distribution maps from Allen et al. (1998). It is found at depths of 2-30 m.

Population

Current population trend

Decreasing

Number of mature individuals

Population severely fragmented

Continuing decline of mature individuals

Population in detail

Extreme fluctuations

No. of subpopulations

Continuing decline in subpopulations

Extreme fluctuations in subpopulations

All individuals in one subpopulation

No. of individuals in largest subpopulation

Description

It is generally common (e.g., mean of 0.66 individuals per 200 m² in northern Great Barrier Reef; Pratchett and Berumen 2008), but very vulnerable to changes in the abundance of its preferred coral prey, tabular Acropora (Berumen and Pratchett 2006, Pratchett et al. 2006). It went locally extinct (100% decline in abundance) before and after a severe bleaching event (90% coral loss) in the central Great Barrier Reef (Pratchett et al. 2006). The abundance and persistence of this species is highly linked to Acropora corals (including A. hyacinthus and A. cytherea). The declines of these coral species can be used as a proxy for declines in abundance of C. trifascialis.

Habitat and Ecology

System

Marine

Habitat type

Marine Neritic

Generation length (years)

6 years

Congregatory

Movement patterns

Continuing decline in area, extent and/or quality of habitat

Habitat and Ecology in detail

Habitat and Ecology

Chaetodon trifascialis is an obligate corallivore with a strong preference and apparent survival dependency (Berumen and Pratchett 2008) on Acropora hyacinthus but it has also been observed feeding on: A. intermedia (now recognized as A. nobilis and A. formosa), A. gemmifera, A. millepora, A. florida, A. cytherea, A. tenuis, A. robbusta, A. cerialis (Pratchett 2005), A. clathrata, P. damicornis (Graham 2007), A. aspera (Reese 1981), Stylophora pistillata, and Pocillopora eydouxi (Samways 2005). Most commonly occurs singly, sometimes also in pairs.

Classification scheme

Habitats			Suitability	Major importance
9. Marine Neritic	9.8. Marine Neritic - Coral Reef		Suitable	Yes

Threats

Biological resource use

Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources

Climate change & severe weather

Temperature extremes

Threats in detail

Threats

Chaetodon trifascialis is an obligate corallivore on a number of corals that are susceptible to bleaching events and have undergone population declines throughout the Indo-Pacific ranging from 20 to 37% because of reef loss and have been assessed under Red List Criteria (Carpenter et al. 2008). It has been observed feeding on: Acropora hyacinthus (with a strong preference and apparent survival dependency); A. intermedia (now recognized as A. nobilis and A. formosa); A. gemmifera; A. millepora; A. florida; A. cytherea; A. tenuis; A. robbusta; A. cerialis (Pratchett, 2005); A. clathrata; P. damicornis (Graham, 2007); A. aspera (Reese, 1981); Stylophora pistillata; and Pocillopora eydouxi (Samways, 2005). On reefs where it was observed in transects, it has been completely absent from transects after massive bleaching events (Pratchett et al. 2006).

Classification scheme

Threats

Timing

Stresses

Scope

Severity

Impact score

Invasive species

Virus

5. Biological resource use

5.4. Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources

5.4.1. Intentional use: (subsistence/small scale) [harvest]

Ongoing

2. Species Stresses

2.1. Species mortality

Unknown

11. Climate change & severe weather

11.3. Temperature extremes

Ongoing

1. Ecosystem stresses

1.2. Ecosystem degradation

Unknown

Rapid Declines

Unknown

Use and Trade

Pets/display animals, horticulture

Local: ✘

National: ✘

International: ✔

Use and Trade in detail

Use and Trade

This species is occasionally exported through the aquarium trade, however it usually starves when kept in captivity (Pyle 2001).

Conservation Actions

In-place land/water protection

Occurs in at least one protected area : Yes

Conservation Actions in detail

Conservation Actions

There appear to be no species-specific conservation measures in place. This species is present within marine protected areas. Monitoring of this species is needed in conjunction with coral monitoring, as well as determination of the degree of co-dependence between this species and corals.

Conservation actions classification scheme

Conservation Actions Needed			Notes

Research classification scheme

Research Needed			Notes
1. Research	1.3. Life history & ecology
3. Monitoring	3.1. Population trends
	3.4. Habitat trends

Bibliography

Red List Bibliography

Adrim, M., Chen, I.-S., Chen, Z.-P., Lim, K.K.P., Tan, H.H., Yusof, Y. and Jaafar, Z. 2004. Marine fishes recorded from the Anambas and Natuna Islands, South China Sea. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology Suppl. No. 11: 117-130.

Berumen, M.L. and Pratchett, M.S. 2006. Recovery without resilience: persistent distrubance and long-term shifts in the structure of fiosh and coral communities at Tiahura Reef, Moorea. Coral Reefs 25: 647-653.

Berumen, M.L. and Pratchett, M.S. 2008. Trade-offs associated with dietary specialization in corallivorous butterflyfishes (Chaetodontidae: Chaetodon). Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology 62: 989-994.

Carpenter, K.E., Abrar, M., Aeby, G., Aronson, R.B., Banks, S., Bruckner, A., Chiriboga, A., Cortes, J., Delbeek, J.C., DeVaniter, L., Edgar, G.J., Edwards, A.J., Fenner, D., Guzman, H.M., Hoeksema, B.W., Hodgson, G., Johan, O., Licuanan, W.Y., Livingstone, S.R., Lovell, E.R., Moore, J.A., Obura, D.A., Ochavillo, D., Polidoro, B.A., Precht, W.F., Quibilan, M.C., Reboton, C., Richards, Z.T., Rogers, A.D., Sanciangco, J., Sheppard, A., Sheppard, C., Smith, J., Stuart, S., Turak, E., Veron, J.E.N., Wallace, C., Weil, E. and Wood, E. 2008. One-third of reef building corals face elevated extinction risk from climate change and local impacts. Science 321(5888): 560-563.

Graham, N.A.J., Wilson, S.K., Jennings, S., Polunin, N.V.C., Robinson, J., Bijoux, J.P. and Daw, T.M. 2007. Lag effects in the impacts of mass coral bleaching on coral reef fish, fisheries, and ecosystems. Conservation Biology 21(5): 1291-1300.

IUCN. 2010. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (ver. 2010.4). Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 27 October 2010).

Jones, G.P., Caley, M.J. and Munday, P.L. 2002. Rarity in coral reef fish communities. In: P.F. Sale (ed.), Coral reef fishes; Dynamics and diversity in a complex ecosystem, pp. 81-101. Academic Press.

Pratchett, M.S. 2005. Dietary overlap among coral-feeding butterflyfishes (Chaetodontidae) at Lizard Island, northern Great Barrier Reef. Marine Biology 148: 373-382.

Pratchett, M.S. and Berumen, M.L. 2008. Interspecific variation in ditributions and diets of coral reef butterflyfishes (Teleostei: Chaetodontidae). Journal of Fish Biology 73: 1730-1747.

Pratchett, M.S., Munday, P.L., Wilson, S.K., Graham, N.A.J., Cinner, J.E., Bellwood, D.R., Jones, G.P., Polunin, N.V.C. and McClanahan, T.R. 2008. Effects of climate-induced coral bleaching on coral reef fishes - Ecological and economic consequences. Oceanography and Marine Biology: An Annual Review 46: 251-296.

Pratchett, M.S., Wilson, S.K. and Baird, A.H. 2006. Declines in the abundance of Chaetodon butterflyfishes following extensive coral depletion. Journal of Fish Biology 69: 1269-1280.

Pyle, R. 2001. Chaetodontidae. Butterflyfishes. In: K.E. Carpenter and V.H. Niem (eds), FAO species identification guide for fishery purposes. The living marine resources of the Western Central Pacific. Volume 5. Bony fishes part 3 (Menidae to Pomacentridae), pp. 3224-3265. FAO, Rome.

Randall, J.E., Williams, J.T., Smith, D.G., Kulbicki, M., Tham, G.M., Labrosse, P., Kronen, M., Clua, E. and Mann, B.S. 2003. Checklist of the shore and epipelagic fishes of Tonga. Atoll Research Bulletin 502: 1-37.

Reese, E.S. 1981. Predation on corals by fishes of the family Chaetodontidae: implications for conservation and management of coral reef ecosystems. Second International Symposium on Biology and Management of Tropical Shallow Water Communities (coral reefs, bays and estuaries), 20 July - 2 August 1980: 594-604.. Papua New Guinea.

Samways, M.J. 2005. Breakdown of butterflyfish (Chaetodontidae) territories associated with the onset of a mass coral bleaching event. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 15(S1): S101 - S107.

External Data

Images and External Links

Images and External Links in detail

iNaturalist.org observations

Search sites for species

GBIF - Global Biodiversity Information Facility

WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species

CITES Legislation from Species+

Data Source

The information below is from the Species+ website.

CITES Legislation from Species+ in detail

Studies and Actions from Conservation Evidence

Data Source

The information below is from the Conservation Evidence website.

Studies and Actions from Conservation Evidence in detail

The Red list Assessmenti

Taxonomy

Kingdom

Phylum

Class

Order

Family

Genus

Scientific name

Authority

Synonyms

Common names

English

Danish

Japanese

Undetermined

Taxonomic sources

Identification Information

Taxonomic notes

Assessment Information

IUCN Red List Category and Criteria

Date assessed

Year published

Annotations

Year last seen

Previously published Red List assessments

Regional assessments

Assessor(s)

Reviewer(s)

Contributor(s)

Facilitator(s) / Compiler(s)

Partner(s) / Institution(s)

Authority / Authorities

Justification

Geographic Range

Native

Extant (resident)

Extant & Vagrant

Number of locations

Upper depth limit

Lower depth limit

FAO Fishing Areas

Estimated area of occupancy (AOO) (km²)

Continuing decline in area of occupancy (AOO)

Extreme fluctuations in area of occupancy (AOO)

Estimated extent of occurrence (EOO) (km²)

Continuing decline in extent of occurrence (EOO)

Extreme fluctuations in extent of occurrence (EOO)

Continuing decline in number of locations

Extreme fluctuations in the number of locations

Range Description

Population

Current population trend

Number of mature individuals

Population severely fragmented

Continuing decline of mature individuals

Extreme fluctuations

No. of subpopulations

Continuing decline in subpopulations

Extreme fluctuations in subpopulations

All individuals in one subpopulation

No. of individuals in largest subpopulation

Description

Habitat and Ecology

System

Habitat type

Generation length (years)

Congregatory

Movement patterns

Continuing decline in area, extent and/or quality of habitat

Habitat and Ecology

Classification scheme

Threats

Biological resource use

Climate change & severe weather

Threats

Classification scheme

Use and Trade

Pets/display animals, horticulture

Use and Trade