Description

Also known as Bannerfish, Coralfish, Heniochus Butterfly, Pennant Butterflyfish, Pennant Coralfish, Pennantfish, Poorman's Moorish Idol, Schooling Bannerfish, Schooling Butterflyfish, Schooling Coachman, Schooling Pennant Butterflyfish, Schooling Pennantfish.

Found in pairs and large schools, swimming above the reef, over current swept channels and outer reef slopes.
They feed on plankton.
Juveniles found over isolated patch reefs.
Length - 20cm
Depth - 5-200m
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/7769