Abstract
The chevron butterflyfish Chaetodon trifascialis is an obligate corallivore found on Indo-Pacific coral reefs. The typical northern extent of the distributional range of the chevron butterflyfish overlaps with the occurrence of one of its preferred corals Acropora cytherea on reefs of French Frigate Shoals in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Here I document the occurrence of a single C. trifascialis in Kaneohe Bay, Oahu outside its typical range and discuss the role of biogeographic vagrants as potential colonizers that provide direct evidence of inter-island larval connectivity in the Central Pacific Ocean.
Highlights
The chevron butterflyfish Chaetodon trifascialis Quoy & Gaimard, 1825 is an obligate corallivore found on IndoPacific coral reefs
This study documents the occurrence of a single C. trifascialis in Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaiian Islands and discusses the role of biogeographic vagrants in this region as potential colonizers that demonstrate interisland larval connectivity
The northern range of Chaetodon trifascialis has been observed on reefs of French Frigate Shoals in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, yet documented evidence of specimens has not been recorded elsewhere in the Hawaiian archipelago
Summary
The chevron butterflyfish Chaetodon trifascialis Quoy & Gaimard, 1825 is an obligate corallivore found on IndoPacific coral reefs. Due to the specialist diet on corals, C. trifascialis has been suggested as an indicator species for the condition of coral reefs (Reese, 1981; Ohman et al, 1998). C. trifascialis is in “near threatened” status by the IUCN due to the susceptibility of corals to bleaching events (Carpenter & Pratchett, 2010). The C. trifascialis was not observed from reefs that experienced massive bleaching events in follow-up surveys at sites where they had been previously documented (Pratchett et al, 2006). While C. trifascialis is distributed throughout the IndoPacific, it only occurs commonly in one location of the Hawaiian archipelago, French Frigate Shoals, where Acropora cytherea is well established (Asher et al, 2012; Randall, 2007; Grigg, 1981). This study documents the occurrence of a single C. trifascialis in Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaiian Islands and discusses the role of biogeographic vagrants in this region as potential colonizers that demonstrate interisland larval connectivity
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