Raccoon Butterflyfish

The raccoon butterflyfish (Chaetodon lunula), also known as the crescent-masked butterflyfish, lunule butterflyfish, halfmoon butterflyfish, moon butterflyfish, raccoon butterfly, raccoon, raccoon coralfish, and redstriped butterflyfish, is a marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae. It can be found in the 🇮🇳 Indian and 🌊 Pacific Oceans.

Taxonomically, Chaetodon lunula was first described as Pomacentrus lunula in 1802 by the French naturalist Bernard Germain de Lacépède. It belongs to the subgenus Rabdophorus and may be considered a distinct genus. Its closest relative is likely the 🌊 Red Sea raccoon butterflyfish or diagonal butterflyfish, C. fasciatus. Other closely related species include the black butterflyfish, C. flavirostris, Philippine butterflyfish, C. adiergastos, and possibly the redtail butterflyfish, C. collare. While the coloration of this group varies, they are all relatively large butterflyfish with an oval shape. Most have a pattern of oblique stripes on their flanks and possess a vestigial form of the "raccoon" mask, characterized by a white space between the dark crown and eye areas, except in the red-tailed butterflyfish.

Chaetodon lunula can grow up to a length of 20 cm. They have an oval outline and display oblique reddish stripes on their flanks and black and white bands over their face and eyes, resembling a "raccoon" mask. They also feature a black spot on their caudal peduncle and oblique yellow stripes behind their head. This species possesses 10-14 dorsal spines and 3 anal spines.

These butterflyfish are predominantly nocturnal and often live in small groups. Adult raccoon butterflyfish primarily feed on nudibranchs, small invertebrates, algae, and coral polyps.

The raccoon butterflyfish is distributed widely throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific region, ranging from East Africa to the Hawaiian and Marquesan islands, and north to southern 🇯🇵 Japan. It can also be found in the southeast Atlantic, specifically 🇿🇦 South Africa.

Preferred habitats for the raccoon butterflyfish include seaward reefs and shallow reef flats of lagoons, typically at depths exceeding 30 meters.