Chaetodon burgessi Allen & Starck, 1973
Burgess' butterflyfish
Alibang-bang,  Kulibangbang
Chaetodon burgessi
photo by Allen, G.R.

Family:  Chaetodontidae (Butterflyfishes)
Max. size:  14 cm TL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  reef-associated; marine; depth range 20 - 130 m
Distribution:  Western Pacific: Philippines and northeastern Borneo to Flores and Pohnpei. Recently reported from Tonga (Ref. 53797).
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 13-13; Dorsal soft rays (total): 18-19; Anal spines: 3-3; Anal soft rays: 15-16. Body is white with broad diagonal black stripes across the body, the first from the origin of the first dorsal spine to the soft portion of the anal fin, the second from just anterior of the dorsal fin extending postero-ventrally ending at about the level of the pectoral fin, and the third running vertically across the eye from the forehead (Ref. 4855). Snout length 2.8-3.0 in HL. Body depth 1.6-1.7 in SL (Ref. 90102).
Biology:  Occur in drop-offs where gorgonians and black corals are abundant. Usually in depths over 40 m, but in some localities much shallower (Ref. 48636); usually in depths less than 40 m in East Indian region, solitarily or in pairs (Ref 90102). Reported to have been collected from a depth of 380 feet (= 115.8 m) in Palau (J.C. Delbeek, CAS, pers.comm. 10/2017) . Oviparous (Ref. 205). Form pairs during breeding (Ref. 205). They do well in the aquarium and are exported from the Philippines (Ref. 37816). Maximum depth reported taken from Ref. 128797.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 06 October 2009 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless
Country info:  Exported as an aquarium fish (Ref. 1602). Also Ref. 9137, 121724.


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