Local distribution of butterflyfish on coral reef ecosystems is not well understood. In this study, snorkel transects were used to obtain abundances of butterflyfishes across three zones (reef slope zone=RSZ; living coral zone=LCZ; inner sandy zone=ISZ) of Heron Island Reef, Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Also, GPS locations of each fish observation and GIS spatial software were used to visually represent spatial distribution patterns of fishes. We found significantly greater numbers of butterfly species on the RSZ than the other two zones (n=100, RSZ=12-16, LCZ/ISZ=8-10). Butterflyfish community structure across the three zones was also different. C. plebius, the bluespot butterflyfish, was most common in the RSZ while C. melannotus, the blackback butterflyfish, and C. lineolatus, the lined butterflyfish, were most abundant in the LCZ and ISZ, respectively. Also, several interesting species distribution patterns were observed. C. lineolatus abundance increased shoreward; C. plebius was distributed evenly; C. aureofasciatus, the gold-striped butterflyfish, composed 13% of the RSZ and less than 1% in the other two zones. Our results indicate that different reef zones on the Heron Island Reef support different Chaetodontid communities. Many factors could be driving this zonation of species and further investigation into the causes of these differences is needed.

Butterflyfish (Chaetodontidae) distribution on the Heron Reef, Great Barrier Reef, Australia