WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Red Sea Bannerfish

Heniochus intermedius

Also known as: Bannerfish, Coachman, Coralfish, Pennantfish, Red Sea Coachman, Red Sea Pennant Coralfish

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2010
Adult
@Descent · Jeddah, Saudi Arabia · March 20191 / 6
01

Overview

Found singly, pairs, or in schools, often hovering under coral heads or around coral formations, over reef flats, of sheltered lagoons and seaward reef slopes.
Juveniles found in large schools at the base of reefs.
Western Indian Ocean - Red Sea to Gulf of Aden

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
stripes

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Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Western Indian Ocean
  • Country only · 6
LIVES IN

Found singly, pairs, or in schools, often hovering under coral heads or around coral formations, over reef flats, of sheltered lagoons and seaward reef slopes.

04

Adult photos 6

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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 intermedius Steindachner, 1893

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

    06

    More in the family

    Butterflyfishes (Chaetodontidae)