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BUTTERFLYFISH (CHAETODONTIDAE) OF PULAU PAYAR MARINE PARK

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 Proceedings of National Symposium on Pulau Payar Marine Park
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BUTTERFLYFISH (CHAETODONTIDAE) OF PULAU

PAYAR MARINE PARK.
Yusri Yusuf and Ahyaudin B. Ali
School Of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Minden, Penang, Malaysia

ABSTRACT

Fish from the family Chaetodontidae and another few families are most completely associated
with coral reef environments and to some extent this family has been suggested as a bioindicator
for the health of coral reef ecosystems due to their feeding habits and their close association with
the reef itself. At Pulau Payar Marine Park, 17 species of Chetodontidae and a hybrid between
Chaetodon kleinii and Chaetodan refflesi have been observed. The number of species from this
park is the highest when compared to the other marine parks in Peninsular Malaysia, even though
the coral cover is less healthy and less diversified than the others, except for Pulau Redang which
has 17 species of Chaetodontidae. Johor Islands, Pulau Tioman and Pulau Kapas have less
species compared to Pulau Payar with 13, 8 and 9 respectively. Even though the species number
is less compared to the Pulau Sipadan and Pulau Laying Layang, 36 and 32 species, Pulau Payar
is to be considered unique because of its location in the West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia and
the status of coral cover, which is very much degraded, especially after the El Nino event in
1998, which caused massive mortality to branching corals on which some of the chaetodontid
feed, due to their corallivores feeding habits. More study is on the ecology of this family and
other fishes need to be conducted to understand and provide more in depth knowledge for a batter
management of the parks.

INTRODUCTION

The study of Pulau Payar’s coral reef fish communities was started by Rashid (1980) with the
documentation of coral cover and fish fauna and followed by De Silva & Rahman (1982) with the
documentation of fishes and the coral cover for the proposed marine park, and Lim (1997) with
the detail study of coral cover of the islands with the recommendation for carrying capacity of the
island. However, most of the data on the fish fauna is inadequate and the number of species
obtained is generally low.
The earliest study by Rashid (1980) recorded 4 species while De Silva & Rahman (1982)
recorded 5 prior to the formation of the marine park, Said (1995) recorded 7 species. The species
obtained during the previous study prove to be inadequate because the number was very low
compared to the other area within the Andaman Sea. Satapoomin (1993) listed 24 species of
butterflyfish from the area based on the work at Thai Islands in Andaman Sea. The low number
of species recorded within Pulau Payar Marine Park probably resulted from the short duration of
the study.

This large family of colorful fishes is popular with divers and aquarist. It is comprised of 10
genera with 120 species which mostly inhabit coral reefs, but few have adapted to warm-
temperate zones, and some live in deep water up to 200 meters, but most dwell in depth of less
then 20 meters ( Allen 1997, Kuiter & Debelius, 1997 and Randall et al. 1997). Butterflyfish are
active during daylight hours and seek shelters close to the reef surface during the night. Most
species are restricted to a relatively small area of reef, isolated patch reef or part of more
extensive reef system (Allen 1997 and Randall et al. 1997). Many of these species occur in pairs
or in schools and travel extensively throughout their home range foraging for food. Many species

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feed on live polyps (obligate corallivores) and others consume a mixed diet consisting of small
benthic invertebrates and algae (facultative corallivores). A few species, i.e. a few
Hemitaurichthys spp., feed in midwater on zooplankton (Allen 1997, Kuiter & Debelius, 1997
and Randall et al. 1997).

Corallivores butterflyfish (Chaetodontidae) live mainly in close association with reef habitat and
the number of corallivorous on a reef correlate with live coral cover (Bell & Gazlin 1984,
Bouchon-Navaro & Bouchon 1989) and if the reef habitat is disturbed, chaetodontid abundance
may decrease (Sano et al. 1987). For this reason, it has been hypothesized that butterflyfish
could be used as a bio-indicator of the coral health (Reese 1981). Physical disturbance or
environmental stress of the reef habitat would influence the corals, and, hence impacted an effect
on the associated chaetodontid community (Ohman, et al. 1998). The number of butterflyfish
would decrease in an affected area as fish migrate to a more suitable environment and increased
mortality might follow as stress and movement could make the fish more vulnerable to predation.

Endean (1988) showed that coral area, disturbed by Acanthaster planci grazing, would still be
visited by chaetodontids, but they would leave the area after it was overgrown by algae. In the
study where 50% coral mortality came from Acropora and Pocillopora, the reduction of 47% in
the individuals of the chaetodontid family would occur and obligate corallivores would be
replaced by omnivores species.

This paper describes the distribution and abundance of butterflyfish in Pulau Payar Marine Park.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Study Sites

The study was carried out at Pulau Payar Marine Park (lat. 6°3’N-6°5’N and long. 100°2’E-
100°4’E) off the coast of Kedah. The detailed morphological description of the area is available
in the previous study (Lim, 1997), but the present composition of coral cover is altered mainly
due to the coral bleaching during El Nino in 1988. Most of the branching corals (Acropora sp.)
died resulted from the phenomenon, with only few patches surviving (Yusuf & Ali 200).

Methodology

A general quantitative survey was carried out using SCUBA around the coral reef vicinities in the
Park with help of underwater photography to record the total species of Chaetodontidae. The
observation was done at all area in the park where possible. This observation was also done at
Pulau Lembu and Pulau Kaca, which lie within the park. The species are identified according to
Allen (1997), Lieske & Myers (1994), Randall et al., (1997) and Burgess et al., (1991).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Seventeen species of butterflyfish were recorded during the study and they are divided into two
groups based on their feeding habits; obligate corallivores, which feed entirely on coral polyps,
and facultative corallivores, which also feed on others like benthic invertebrates and sponges.

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Obligate corallivores are:

1. Chaetodon collare Bloch 1787
2. C. octofasciatus Bloch 1787
3. C. plebius Cuvier, 1831
4. C. trifascialis Quoy & Gaimard, 1824
5. C. trifasciatus Park, 1797
6. C. triangulum Cuvier 1831
7. Heniochus singularis Smith & Radcliffe, 1911
Facultative corallivores are:
1. Chaetodon auriga Forsskal, 1775
2. C. decussatus Cuvier 1829
3. C. lineolatus Cuvier, 1831
4. C. refflesi Bennett, 1830
5. C. vagabundus Linneaus, 1758
6. Chelmon rostratum Linneaus, 1758
7. Coradion altivelis McCulloch, 1916
8. Coradion chrysozonus Cuvier, 1831
9. Heniochus acuminiatus Linneaus, 1758
10. H. plurotaenia Ahl 1923

A hybrid between Chaetodon kleinii and Chaetodan refflesi was observed at Pulau Payar Marine
Park and this was the 14th documented phenomenon for this hybrid (Allen. G, R. pers com)

The Chaetodon octofasciatus is the most common species found at this area followed by C.
collare. Yusuf & Ali (2000) found these species represented 60% and 22.3% of all numbers of
individuals from this family encountered at the few quadrates around the park, followed by C.
collare, which represents 22.3% of the total numbers. C. triangulum and H. acuminiatus was
also quite common within the park. C. collare and H. acuminiatus tend to aggregate near the
park jetty during the evening and these species usually live in a school wandering around the
coral reef.

Chetodon trifascialis, C. trifacsiatus and H. singularis are considered quite rare in this area.
These species feed entirely on coral polyps and mucus, especially from the genus Acropora. The
degradation of this will greatly affect the fish that feed on them. C. trifascialis was only found in
the early part of the study, in the middle of 1998, during the peak of El Nino. After the massive
bleaching and the dying off of Acropora sp. this species has not been found in the area. This
species occurs primarily with Acropora plate or table tops corals (Kuiter & Debelius, 1997) and
the mass mortality of this coral had affected the distribution of C trifascialis.

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Table 1: Number of butterflyfish species of Pulau Payar and other places

Islands Species numbers Sources

Pulau Sipadan 36 Woods et al., 1994
Pulau Layang-layang 32 Hassan, 1999
Pulau Payar 17 This study
Pulau Redang 17 Harbone et al., 2000
Pulau Tioman 8 Harbone et al., 2000
Pulau Kapas 9 Salam et al, 1994
Johor Islands 13 Harbone et al., 2000

The number of butterflyfish species of Pulau Payar was higher in than other islands in Peninsular
Malaysia, even though the coral cover in this area is comparatively less diverse and healthy. One
of the main factors that may contribute to this result is the duration of the study. Most of the
studies at other areas were on shorter term and usually not repetitive. This condition can
overlook the exact number of species due to variation of their activities. The long-term
observation on the species of Pulau Payar also can detect the variation within the seasonal cycle.
It is more likely that the number of butterflyfish at other islands will be more than that which has
been recorded if more sampling is done and long term monitoring is being employed.

CONCLUSION

Pulau Payar Marine Park had been subjected to the mass coral bleaching during El Nino in 1998,
and had resulted to the mass mortality of coral species, especially Acropora, a phenomenon that
greatly affected the butterflyfish community. Some of the species became quite rare in the area.
However, the number of butterflyfish at Pulau Payar is generatively high when compared to other
islands in Peninsular Malaysia, even though this area is relatively less diverse and healthy. More
observation and sampling need to be done at other island to have more accurate numbers of the
Chaetodontid at other islands.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This project was funded under IRPA project 305/pbiologi/610804. We would like to thank
everybody involved in the project especially Unit Taman Laut dan Peikanan Rekreasi, Unit
Taman Laut Pulau Payar, Jabatan Perikanan and Fisheries Research Institute especially Mr
Zaidnuddin Illias. We also would like to thank the dive buddies especially Sharmala Palaniappan
and Meii Mohd Norizam.

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