Endless Ocean Wiki

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The Threadfin Butterflyfish (Chaetodon auriga) is a small species of coral-reef fish found in Endless Ocean and Endless Ocean 2.

This fish is named for the threadlike shape that its dorsal fin narrows into. It is also pattered with distinctive diagonal lines that meet each other on the fish's flanks.

In-Game[]

Marine Encyclopedia[]

Endless Ocean[]

Description[]

"These fish have narrow, elliptical bodies with dorsal fins that extend into a narrow spine. They are white with thick black lines around the eyes and thin ones across the body. They also have a trademark black spot on the rear of the dorsal fin. Threadfin butterflyfish can be seen year-round at coral reefs all over Manoa Lai.

There are numerous black lines that run in every direction on the sides of their bodies. Threadfin butterflyfish that hatch in the Red Sea often don't have the circular black pattern on them. They live around coral reefs and use their thread-like teeth to feed on seaweed and plankton.

These fish differ in shape from birth to adulthood. When they are young, they have a long, flat bone around their heads. It seems that this shape might make them less susceptible to attack, but its exact purpose is yet to be determined."

Endless Ocean 2[]

Description[]

"It has a black circular pattern at the rear of its dorsal fin, from which a distinctive filament trails. It inhabits coral reefs, and feeds on coral polyps and sea anemones with its mouth of small hair-like teeth."

Location[]

Endless Ocean[]

Threadfin butterflyfish can be found practically everywhere across the Manoa Lai Sea in zoom mode, mainly around coral reefs. They can also appear in the Great Aqua Cave, Underwater Ruins of Mo'ia Atoll, and Ship's Rest, making them fairly easy to come across.

Endless Ocean 2[]

Threadfin butterflyfish can be spotted throughout Ciceros Strait.

Behavior[]

Threadfin butterflyfish can only be found under zoom-mode glows, swimming idly (though they will display a quick burst of activity if offered food).

In the first game, they are hardly ever seen alone; sometimes, they will only be paired with another of their kind, but more frequently they can be seen alongside other creatures, including but not limited to crowned seahorses, whitespotted boxfish, and/or other kinds of butterflyfish.

Gallery[]

Notes[]

Real-Life Information[]

  • The first game mentions that threadfins born in the Red Sea don't have the dark spot on their dorsal fins; this much is true[1][2][3]. In the past, these specimens that lacked the dorsal-fin spot were considered a subspecies named C. auriga setifer, while the ones outside of the Red Sea were called C. auriga auriga[4]. This, however, is not the case in modern times, and all are simply regarded under the name C. auriga[5].
    • The threadfin butterflyfish bears quite a resemblance to a close relative that does not appear in either Endless Ocean game - Chaetodon vagabundus, the vagabond butterflyfish[6]. However, the vagabond butterflyfish lacks the dorsal spot and "thread", and also has a black border between its body and dorsal fin, as well as a black bar on its tail fin[7].
  • Both games mention the threadfin butterflyfish's "hair-like" or "thread-like" teeth. This is a trait seen in all members of the genus the threadfin is in, Chaetodon - the genus name comes from Greek words that mean "hair" and "teeth"[8]. The tooth structure is actually a commonality it shares with the entire family of butterflyfishes, Chaetodontidae[9]. True to both in-game descriptions, the threadfin uses these teeth to survive on a diet of plankton, seaweed, coral polyps, and sea anemones[10][11]. It also likes algae[8].
    • Chaetodon means "hair teeth", but the name auriga also refers to a physical feature of the fish - it means "coachman" or "charioteer" in Latin, as a nod to the whiplike shape that the dorsal fin narrows into[10].
    • The genus Chaetodon has the most species out of any genus in the family Chaetodontidae[12].
  • The first game mentions the bony shield that surrounds the head of young butterflyfish. This is something that shows up in all young butterflyfish of the family Chaetodontidae, not just the threadfin[9][13]. This stage, which is unique to coral-reef fishes, is called the tholichthys stage[14][15].
  • The threadfin butterflyfish is a relatively popular aquarium fish, known for its hardiness, and is quite common in the trade[16][17]. Aquarists regularly praise it for its ease of care and lovely coloration[18][19]. Part of the reason it is easy to care for is because it is not a picky eater by any means, accepting practically any of the regular aquarium fare[20]. However, it is known to be perhaps a little bit more aggressive than other species from the same genus[21].
  • One of the most oft-used common names for the threadfin is auriga butterflyfish, drawing from its scientific name[16][22]. Other common names include cross-stripe and diagonal butterflyfish, as well as threadfin coralfish[2][23][24]. In Hawai'i, it is called kikakapu, which is a name it shares with other some other species of butterflyfish[17][25].

Navigation[]

False Clown AnemonefishYellowtail ClownfishTomato ClownfishYellow Clownfish
Sapphire DevilStarck's DemoiselleGoldtail DemoiselleBlue-Green Chromis
Threespot DascyllusJohn DorySingular BannerfishBicolor AngelfishRoyal Angelfish
Threadfin ButterflyfishBluelashed ButterflyfishBlack Pyramid ButterflyfishBanded Angelfish
Humpback GrouperDusky BatfishMandarinfishGoldeye RockfishMarine Betta
Harlequin SweetlipsMarbled FlounderYatabei BlennyRippled RockskipperRed-Spotted Blenny
Bicolor BlennyFire GobyElegant FirefishMonster Shrimp GobyWatchman Goby
Singapore Prawn-GobyBlue-Spotted JawfishPeacock BlennyOblong GobyYellow Clown Goby
Red-Spotted GobyFive-Lined Coral GobyLong-Spine PorcupinefishYellow Boxfish
Whitespotted BoxfishTiger PufferStriated FrogfishPainted FrogfishWarty FrogfishSea Robin
Southern Orange-Lined CardinalfishCardinal FishSea GoldieStocky AnthiasCherry Grouper
Sunset AnthiasFlying FishChub MackerelJapanese Jack MackerelJapanese Sardine
Antarctic SilverfishCapelinDusky RockcodBald NotothenSlender Bristlemouth


References[]

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