New record of five Butterflyfishes (Family: Chaetodontidae) from the Lakshadweep Archipelago, Western Indian Ocean, with notes on occurrence of four additional species

Abstract

Five new records of Butterflyfishes (Family: Chaetodontidae), viz. Chaetodon andamanensis, C. decussatus, C. guttatissimus, C. interruptus and C. lineolatus, are reported from the atolls of Lakshadweep archipelago, India. The occurrence of four additional species viz. C. madagaskariensis, C. triangulum, Forcipiger longirostris and Heniochus pleurotaenia were also confirmed. The extension of range of these coral reef associated fishes to these underexplored reefs points towards the need for an extensive scientific survey of fish biodiversity in Lakshadweep archipelago. A check list of the Butterflyfishes of the Lakshadweep Archipelago is also provided.