Homing of a butterflyfish in the temperate western Pacific Ocean

Homing behaviour—a well-known instinct in animals—has fascinated researchers for years. This study focused on the homing ability of the oriental butterflyfish Chaetodon auripes . We tagged 24 specimens ranging from 12.2 to 16.6 cm in total length. Of these, eight were recaptured near their origin after being displaced over distances of < 500 m, which was potentially outside their expected home range. Displacement distance or body size had no significant effect on their homing ratio. Butterflyfish could be new candidates as a model species for further investigation of homing behaviour.