WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Masked Bannerfish

Heniochus monoceros

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

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2010
Adult
@fishx6 · Gangehi, Maldives · March 20081 / 9
01

Overview

Found singly, pairs, or small schools, hovering close to tabular corals, over lagoons and seaward reefs, rich in coral growth.

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.

02

How to identify

Pattern
bars
Fins & Tail
sail fin
Head & Mouth
bandit mask

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

03

Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Indo-Pacific
  • Country only · 9
LIVES IN

Found singly, pairs, or small schools, hovering close to tabular corals, over lagoons and seaward reefs, rich in coral growth.

04

Adult photos 9

05

Discussion

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    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

    Deep dive

    Taxonomy

    1. kingdomAnimalia
    2. phylumChordata
    3. classTeleostei
    4. orderAcanthuriformes
    5. familyChaetodontidae
    6. genusHeniochus
    7. speciesHeniochus monoceros Cuvier, 1831

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

    06

    More in the family

    Butterflyfishes (Chaetodontidae)