How about Chaetodon tinkeri complex ?

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

A new thread on a special butteflyfish group. It is Chaetodon tinkeri- complex that consists of five distinct species from deep waters of the Indo-west Pacific oceans.

The complex includes C. burgessi, declivis, flavocoronatus, mitratus and tinkeri. Once C. nippon was regarded as a member of it but now ichthyologists excluded it from the complex.

They have a similar silhouette and boldly colored, and also are very easy to maintain in home tanks.

This is C. mitratus (Headband Butterflyfish) from the Indian Ocean, ranging east coasts of Africa and South Africa, through oceanic islands and reaching western Indonesia (Andaman Sea). It is a deep water dweller and is quite distinct in having a yellow body. It is similar to C. burgessi but the latter has a white body.

 

[Anonymous]

I like butterflies How is mitratus in reef tanks? Can it be kept with any corals?

 

[Hobbyist]

All of this group are generally considered reef safe. But as with any butterfly, you take your chances.

Mitratus, Declivis and Tinkeri are showing up regularly in the states, but be prepared to pay $200.00-$300.00.

 

[Anonymous]

I like butterflies How is mitratus in reef tanks? Can it be kept with any corals?

Hey Matt...scroll down, man!

http://www.reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=84283

Peace,

Chip

 

[NKT]

Couple pics of the Tinker I had in LA-- first one is the Tinker propping up his "crown"

And second with his crown down...

This is still my favorite reef fish I've ever kept, bar none. It has the coolest personality, and was significantly more intelligent (or appeared to be) than anyone else. Unfortunately it passed away two weeks after I moved from LA to NY

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

Thank you for your very nice pictures, NKT.

Here is a juvenile C. mitratus, 3cm. This species is the oldest member among the complex, and then I had a question why the group was called tinkeri- complex. The answer was given by Richard Pyle... and I was a bit disappointed at his unexpected and non-scientific reply...

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

Chaetodon tinkeri, Tinker's Butterflyfish from the Pacific.

Richard Pyle replied that it was called the tinkeri- complex because C. tinkeri was the most well- known among the members. He added that you could call it the mitratus- complex if you like.

C. tinkeri is NOT the Hawaiian endemic, but it ranges widely in the Pacific Ocean, including Johnston, Midway, the Marshalls, the Cook Islands and Rangiroa Atoll (Tuamotu Archipelago, one adult in 70 m). I saw an adult specimen on a web from the US that was photographed by a diver at Guam (!).

Hawaiian (and Johnston & Midway) population is typical (of course), but those from other areas have a broader submarginal line on the back. See photo and it has such a broad band there, and I suspect that it was collected somewhere of those areas. I have not yet seen Cook or Rangiroa specimens and it may be from the Marshalls. The Guam specimen was almost identical to the Hawaiian one.

How do you think ?

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

Burgess' Butterflyfish, Chaetodon burgessi, 9cm from the Philippines.

It was an unexpected discovery from the deep Palau by Dr. Gerald Allen, and named after Dr. Warren Burgess that is a widely-known authority on butteflyfishes (Chaetodontidae).

The species ranges Palau, the Philippines, Indonesia, the Solomon Islands, and Kumejima Island (just north of Okinawa Island) of Japan.

It is seen in deep waters but in Indonesia (around eastern Sulawesi) it is a shallower species. Very similar to C. mitratus from Indian Ocean but it has a yellow body.

 

[Len]

Is the subgenus Roa still a valid taxonomy?

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

Roa is now subgenus of Chaetodon, but it is still regarded as a valid genus by some ichthyologists. Dr. John Randall (2005) includes all the tinkeri- complex in Chaetodon.

 

[Rare Angels]

This post is very timely, I just purchased a nice C. declevis this past weekend from a LFS. I had gone to the store to purchase a tinerii but they were all gone, when I seen the declevis I had to have it.

It is a awesome fish with a great personality and eat immediately, in fact it attack some atasia I have in the QT tank!! I will try to get some pictures in the near future.

I will also still be getting a couple tinkerii when they get them in.

Thanks for the great photos and info Mr Tanaka!

Dave

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

Many thanks, Rare Angels.

I am glad to hear such an encouragement and yes, I too like them so much; they are very interesting fishes.

Here is an aquarium photo of Chaetodon declivis wilderi from Christmas Island, the Line Islands. This species has two populations, and another is C. declivis declivis (from the Marquesas Islands).

C. declivis was described by John andall in 1975 and later was named as C. declevis by Burgess & Randall (in Burgess, 1978). Burgess prepared to name it so but his publication was postponed again and again after his submission, and Randall has not waited.

The differences between the two populations are not so little; we cannot see them by appearance except the coloration of the triangular orange-yellow part of dorsal fin.

 

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

While I was sightseeing in Oahu I visited Modern Pet Center at Sheridan Street, I found several C. tinkeri and also a C. declivis wilderi from Christmas Island; it was collected and brought back by Randall Kosaki, an ichthyologist where we met there for the first time... Very lucky!

 

[Anonymous]

...are those undergravel filters??? Wow...

Peace,

Chip

 

[FragMaster]

Check out the cups!

Nice fish though! Somthing must be working good !

 

[MartinE]

Yeah I have been to Modern Pet Center on Oahu, and got to talk with one of the guys that collects for them. Very nice folks and they have some very nice fish, but as of Oct. 05 when I was there they did not ship anymore.