Caesioperca lepidoptera

Butterfly perch
Caesioperca lepidoptera
Caesioperca lepidoptera, Tasman Peninsula, Tas, Photo: Andrew Green
Caesioperca lepidoptera
Caesioperca lepidoptera, Tasman Peninsula, TAS, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Caesioperca lepidoptera
Caesioperca lepidoptera, Tasman Peninsula, Tas, Photo: Andrew Green
Caesioperca lepidoptera
Caesioperca lepidoptera, New Zealand, Photo: Graham Edgar
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Caesioperca lepidoptera
Caesioperca lepidoptera
Caesioperca lepidoptera
Caesioperca lepidoptera

Distribution

Temperate Australasia


Description

Pink body with a round black spot on the side of adults and blue markings around the eyes. They feed on plankton and occur in large schools near the edge of dropoffs on coastal reefs. They sleep at night in crevices between rocks.


Information

Max Size: 30 cm

Sea Temperature Range: 12.3-21.4°C

Depth: 4-100m

Habitat Generalization Index: 5.24

Also referred to as the SGI (Species Generalisation Index), this describes the habitat niche breadth of the species. Species with values less than 15 are found in a relatively narrow range of reef habitat types (specialists), while those over 25 may be found on most hard substrates within their range (generalists). Learn more here.


Conservation and Rarity

IUCN Status: Not Evaluated

Occurrence: Frequent (13.1% of sites)

Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed

Abundance: Many (69 per transect)

Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.


Edit by: GJ Edgar. 2008. Australian Marine Life. New Holland, Sydney