Millet butterflyfish

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Millet butterflyfish (Chaetodon miliaris) is a small reef fish also known as the lemon butterflyfish or millet-seed butterflyfish. It is found only around the Hawaiian Islands and Johnston Atoll, at depths down to about 250 meters. The species is common in Hawaii and is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

What it looks like
- Size: up to about 13 cm (5 inches).
- Shape: deep-bodied and laterally flattened.
- Color: whitish or yellow with vertical rows of dark spots along the sides.
- Markings: a broad black stripe from above the eye to the base of the gill cover and a large black patch near the tail.

Habitat and behavior
- Lives in coastal fringing reefs, outer reefs, and lagoons.
- Typically found in mid-water and forms schools.
- Diet: mainly zooplankton, but also small invertebrates like polychaete worms; it uses rapid suction to feed.
- Not territorial; tends to feed in groups at certain reef spots.

Breeding and life cycle
- Breeding is thought to occur from January to May.
- Newly settled juveniles are usually found in inner reef areas from April to June.
- Specific breeding habits are not fully known.

In relation to other fish
- It is placed in the subgenus Exornator, which may include species like the African butterflyfish, crochet butterflyfish, and reef butterflyfish. The crochet butterflyfish might be its closest relative.
- If the genus Chaetodon is reorganized, Exornator could become a subgenus of Lepidochaetodon.

Conservation and aquarium trade
- The population is stable and collection has little impact, so it is currently listed as Least Concern.
- It is sometimes collected for the aquarium trade. Because it feeds on zooplankton rather than corals, it can be more suitable for reef aquariums than some other butterflyfish species.