Wiebel's butterflyfish (Chaetodon wiebeli) is a saltwater species recorded in Hong Kong. It is mainly found over reef, coral, rocky, at depths of 4–25 m.
Scientific name: Chaetodon wiebeli · Water: Saltwater
Size: up to 19 cm
Wiebel's butterflyfish is a chaetodontid of rocky and coral reef areas from 4 to 25 m. The adults are found in pairs and small groups and feed on algae; it is egg-laying and monogamous, forming pairs when breeding. Maximum length is about 19 cm total length. It is a commercial species and is sold commercially for aquariums. Trophic level is 2.7, fishing vulnerability low at 21 of 100, and resilience high. IUCN lists it as least concern.
The body is oval, deep and strongly compressed, and the head is as tall as it is wide; the snout is short and the small mouth is protractile, set with bristle-like teeth — the genus name Chaetodon means "bristle tooth" — and the preopercle is smooth, carrying no obvious spines. The colour is mainly yellow marked with oblique brown lines; a vertical black band runs through the eye with a white bar behind it, and there is a black blotch on the forehead. The dorsal, anal, pelvic and caudal fins are all yellow, but the caudal fin has a black margin. The dorsal fin carries 12 or 13 spines and 22 to 25 soft rays, the anal fin 3 spines and 18 to 20 soft rays. It ranges from southern Japan and South Korea to northern Java, extending into the Gulf of Thailand. Besides algae it takes coral polyps and benthic invertebrates, and it does most of its feeding by grazing off rocks; individuals may also be found alone.
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