Awesome Butterfly!

[Blue Ring Sting]

Hi guys and girls

On a few of my recent dives I have been seeing more and more of these guys. They are known as the Marley or Double Dash Butterfly (Chaetodon Marleyi). They are only found in South African waters and are one of the only Butterflies to be able to live in 8-14 C and 20 - 23 C. They are found in the Atlantic as well as the Indian Ocean.

 

[Ambition]

Cool butterflies. I'm a little confused by your description of their distribution. On one hand you say that they are only found in South African waters, but then say that they can be found in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean...

 

[Ira]

South Africa has coastline on both the Atlantic and Indian oceans.

 

[Blue Ring Sting]

Thanks Ira. Yeah we have the cold Atlantic coast as well as the warmer Indian coast. We do get some awesome fish on our coastline.

 

[Ambition]

I always forget the Indian Ocean is as big as it is. Must have something to do with the fact that most maps I've worked with in the recent years are zoomed in on India showing only a small portion of the ocean.

 

[Blue Ring Sting]

It provides us with such great biodiversity. You can view cold reefs as well as tropical reefs. I prefer more the tropical reefs more, not too crazy about freezing water.

 

[SDguy]

Lovely fish. I miss my robustus

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

Beautiful fish!

 

[RayL]

Thanks Ira. Yeah we have the cold Atlantic coast as well as the warmer Indian coast. We do get some awesome fish on our coastline.

It is really a great view from cape point where the two oceans meet and the constant crashing of the waves.

 

[Blue Ring Sting]

They are beautiful. Will be doing a dive tomorrow. Hopefully will see some more of them.

@RayL, that is extremely debatable. Some believe the Atlantic and Indian meet at Cape Point and others believe it meets at Cape Agulhas.

 

[RayL]

@RayL, that is extremely debatable. Some believe the Atlantic and Indian meet at Cape Point and others believe it meets at Cape Agulhas.

Interesting, never knew that, I just did a little research on it. Learn something new every day. Next time I am there, I will have to go check out Cape Agulhas

 

[Blue Ring Sting]

Do you come to Cape Town quite regularly? You must let me know when you here again. Will take you to some awesome LFS and some wicked dive spots.

 

[RayL]

Do you come to Cape Town quite regularly? You must let me know when you here again. Will take you to some awesome LFS and some wicked dive spots.

I am originally from Johannesburg, but I live in Canada now. I normally go back every 2-3 years, I might be there in March, if I come, I will send you a PM.

 

[tcmfish]

There is a very similar butterfly found on the Tropical West African coast, Chaetodon hoefleri. Chaetodon marleyi is more of a subtropical butterfly. The C. robustus is very similar but also a Tropical West African species and a different baring pattern.

 

[Blue Ring Sting]

Nice! Most definitely. Send me a PM then we can hang out and I will show you some cool things in the Cape.

That is correct. They all look very similar but the Marley is sort of the prized fish from them all. Demanding quite a high price.