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Chaetodon auripes Eating Merulinidae Coral Spawn

Shown here are oriental butterflyfishes (Chaetodon auripes) descending upon a small colony of Merulinidae coral to consume gametes being emitted by the corals. Though the spawning was too sparse for me to see, two dozen or more butterflyfishes fed at this coral colony for over ten minutes. Photographed in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.

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Filename: chaetodon-auripes-butterflyfish-eating-merulinidae-coral-spawn-202407-1761.tif
Copyright: Copyright Tony Wu. All rights reserved. No duplication, reproduction or usage without prior written permission.
Image Size: 7001x4667 / 188.9MB; https://www.photoshelter.com/support/license#rm; https://www.tony-wu.com/contact-tony-wu; Hard Coral Animalia Cnidaria Anthozoa Scleractinia Merulinidae Merulina sp. Reproduction Broadcast Spawning Bony Fish Butterflyfish Chordata Osteichthyes Teleostei Acanthuriformes Chaetodontidae Chaetodon auripes Oriental Butterflyfish Chouchou-uo Foraging Pacific Japan Kagoshima Prefecture
Contained in galleries: Marine Life | Japan, Marine Life Reproduction, Fish Photos

Shown here are oriental butterflyfishes (Chaetodon auripes) descending upon a small colony of Merulinidae coral to consume gametes being emitted by the corals. Though the spawning was too sparse for me to see, two dozen or more butterflyfishes fed at this coral colony for over ten minutes. Photographed in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.