Raccoon Butterfly – Chaetodon lunula – Medium

The Raccoon Butterfly (Chaetodon lunula) has black mask bordered by a thick white marking. There is a wide black band extending from the gill to the dorsal fin. The rest of the body is yellow, with dusky brown on the upper body, and dusky diagonal lines on the sides. Coloration varies with region and rare Hawaiian fish have a more vibrant coloration than those from other Indo-Pacific region. Another species in the Red Sea, C. fasciatus, is very similar in coloration with some minor differences.

Butterflyfish consist of a large number of fish found in the aquarium trade from the Chaetodon, Chelmon, Forcipiger, and Heniochus genuses, among others from the family Chaetodontidae. The family ranges in length from 3 inches up to close to 12 inches in length. Butterflies are usually roughly oval in body shape but longer fins make some appear elliptical or diamond-shaped. They resemble and are sometimes confused with angelfish (family Pomacentridae) but angelfish have a cheekspine that is not found in butterflies.

Butterflies are generally community fish in nature. Though some more pugnatious species may terrorize smaller or more docile fish, most can be kept with a wide range of community tankmates. Most butterfly species are not \