Description

Also known as Angelfish Pennant, Bannerfish, Black-and-White Bannerfish, Black-and-White Butterflyfish, Black-and-White Heniochus Bannerfish, Coachman, Common Bannerfish, Coralfish, False Moorish Idol, Featherfin Bullfish, Featherfin Coralfish, Heniochus Butterfly, Longfin Coachman, Pennant Bannerfish, Pennant Butterflyfish, Pennant Coralfish, Pennantfish, Reef Bannerfish, Wimplefish.

Found in pairs, over protected channels, in lagoons, and over deep, outer reef slopes.
The snout of this banner fish is longer and the pelvic fin rounder than the schooling bannerfish.
They feed on zooplankton.
Juveniles found singly over reefs.
Length - 25cm
Depth - 2-175m
Widespread Indo-Pacific

Butterflyfishes have very fine hair like teeth that enable them to pick out small organisms inaccessible to most other fish for eating.
They thrive mainly on a diet of coral polyps, tentacles of featherdusters and Christmas-tree worms. As these food sources all zap back into their shells, butterflyfishes need to be able to hover motionless while picking at the coral and to dart swiftly over short distances to get the worm before it retracts. They do this by using their Pectoral fins as oars to brake, sprint, turn and even reverse. (edit) Ref: https://www.fishbase.se/summary/5588