Eightband butterflyfish
Chaetodon octofasciatus
- Usual depth2–12 m
- Water temperature25–30 °C
- Best monthsMarch, April, and July
- How commonOccasional
Photo credit: (c) Annika Lindqvist, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
About this species
The eight-banded butterflyfish, also known as the eightband butterflyfish or eight-striped butterflyfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae. It is found in the Indo-Pacific region where it is associated with reefs.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Eightband butterflyfish”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article
Where and when
Where it has been recorded
Worldwide
Loading the map
Best months
Worldwide (open data)
- January: 115 records
- February: 104 records
- March: 150 records
- April: 142 records
- May: 126 records
- June: 111 records
- July: 150 records
- August: 110 records
- September: 115 records
- October: 104 records
- November: 109 records
- December: 91 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 2–12 m · Deepest record: 37 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 25–30 °C
Photos
(c) Wolfgang Ahlmer, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
no rights reserved · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist 
(c) portioid, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Ditch Townsend, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist 
(c) Jan Ebr & Ivana Ebrová, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Pierre Pericard, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Jay Paroline, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
Names and classification
- English
- Eightband butterflyfish, eightband butterflyfish, Eight-banded Butterfly-fish, Eight-banded Butterflyfish, Eight Banded Butterflyfish, Eight-banded coralfish, Eight-striped Butterflyfish, Eight Striped Butterflyfish, rightbanded butterflyfish
Names in 6 more languages
- German
- Achtbinden-Falterfisch
- Spanish
- Pez Mariposa de Ocho Bandas
- French
- Poisson-papillon à huit bandes
- Japanese
- Yasujichochouo, Yasuji-chôchô-uo, ヤスジチョウチョウウオ
- Thai
- ปลาผีเสื้อแปดขีด, ปลาผีเสื้อแปดแถบ, ปลาผีเสื้อลายแปดเส้น
- Simplified Chinese
- 八帶蝴蝶魚, 八線蝶
Other scientific names: Cahetodon octofasciatus, Chaetodon octolineatus, Tetragonopterus octofasciatus
Similar species
Threadfin butterflyfishChaetodon auriga
Citron ButterflyChaetodon citrinellus
Blackblotch ButterflyfishChaetodon ephippium
Sunburst butterflyfishChaetodon kleinii
Raccoon butterflyfishChaetodon lunula
Oval ButterflyfishChaetodon lunulatus
Sources and credits
Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).
- Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
- Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
- Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
- 422 open-data records from 1929 to 2017.
- Species data updated October 26, 2026.
Log what you see on your next dive
The free DiveHive diver app keeps your logbook with every sighting and shows what lives at the site you dive next.