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Illustration of Foureye butterflyfish
fishing forecast

foureye butterflyfish

Chaetodon capistratus · full profile

location

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period

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the species

everything about the foureye butterflyfish

how to recognize it

Pale, tall body, with a large black spot near the rear of the dorsal fin, surrounded by a white ring. It has narrow, diagonal dark lines that meet in the middle of the flank and form a row of V shapes pointing forward. On the head there is a black bar running through the eye, and the pelvic fins are yellow. To tell it apart from Chaetodon striatus, which has wide bars and not this pattern, look at the spot with the white ring and the V-shaped lines.

Also called: borboleta-de-quatro-olhos, mariposa ocelada, isabelita blanca, foureye butterflyfish

We don't have tips on season, bait or technique for this species yet.

Where to look: Shallow coral reefs, usually 2 to 20 m.

In Latin America it lives on shallow reefs of Mexico, Nicaragua, Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and Trinidad, plus other Caribbean islands.

rules for the foureye butterflyfish

Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.

We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

estimated weight

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how we calculate

Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.02512, b = 3.09; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.

more about the foureye butterflyfish

Butterflyfish of the family Chaetodontidae, of the reef butterflyfishes, living on shallow reefs, usually 2 to 20 m deep. It reaches 15 cm and matures near 9 cm. It ranges from Massachusetts and Bermuda to northern South America, with records from the Bahamas, the Gulf of Mexico and the Antilles. It mainly eats zoanthids, polychaete worms, gorgonians and tunicates. It pairs up for breeding and lays eggs in the water. In fishing it is bycatch, and it has aquarium value.

Family: Chaetodontidae · omnivore

fun facts

  • It is easy to approach, and is usually seen alone or in pairs.

similar species

sources and references (2)

Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.

  1. scientific FishBase: Chaetodon capistratus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
  2. scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Chaetodon capistratusNames by country and language.