We’ve all heard of “mis-barred” fishes whereby the stripes are either missing, misaligned or totally warped. Such aberrations are usually mistakes in the expression of these traits, but luckily for these fishes, mis-barring is usually a plus point for fish lovers as it lends a unique and one of a kind touch. Case in point is this interesting specimen of Chaetodon octofasciatus pictured above.
Normally, the eight-banded butterflyfish is seen with straight vertical bars that do not touch each other. The funky specimen of Chaetodon octofasciatus above has apparently had two sets of these bars curved and bent together to form two loops over most of the body. C. octofasciatus is a wide ranging and naturally variable fish anyways, with a few color forms.
Typically seen are those with a creamy-white body coloration, but specimens with a light yellow body also exist in certain areas. Solomon Island forms sport a yellow body with darker orange between alternating bands. Even the vertical stripes are subjected to some form of variations. Individuals from Thailand, Taiwan and possibly other locales have two pairs of bars that are closely spaced together.
Anyhow, aberrant barring, spotting or coloration are prevalent in many species but the chances of finding one is slim. Kinda like encountering a “shiny pokemon” in the wild, if you know what I mean.
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