Masked Bannerfish (Heniochus monoceros)

Also known as Bannerfish, Coralfish, Horned Coachman, Masked Coachman, Pennant Coralfish, Pennantfish, Three-banded Bullfish, Unicorn Pennant Coralfish

Description

Also known as Bannerfish, Coralfish, Horned Coachman, Masked Coachman, Pennant Coralfish, Pennantfish, Three-banded Bullfish, Unicorn Pennant Coralfish.

Found singly, pairs, or small schools, hovering close to tabular corals, over lagoons and seaward reefs, rich in coral growth.
They feed on algae and a wide range of benthic invertebrates.
Length - 23cm
Depth - 2-30m
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. Ref: https://www.fishbase.se/summary/5590

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