WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Threeband Pennantfish

Heniochus chrysostomus

Also known as: Bannerfish, Coralfish, Horned Bannerfish, Horned Coralfish, Pennant Bannerfish, Pennant Butterflyfish, Pennantfish, Threeband Pennant, Threeband Pennant Butterflyfish, Threeband Pennant Coralfish, Three-banded Bullfish

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2010
Adult
@fishx6 · Lembeh Resort, Indonesia · August 20081 / 17
01

Overview

Found singly or in pairs, over reef flats, lagoons, and seaward reefs, rich in coral growth.
Juveniles found singly, in estuaries and lagoons.

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
Behaviour
pairssolitary

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

03

Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Indo-Pacific
  • Country only · 17
LIVES IN

Found singly or in pairs, over reef flats, lagoons, and seaward reefs, rich in coral growth.

04

Adult photos 17

05

Discussion 1

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1 comment

  • ravana· 14 Nov 2012

    Photographed in Negambo Sri Lanka, 2 months before season. Season Dec end to March

    Helpful
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FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

Deep dive

Taxonomy

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

SourcesWoRMSFishBase

06

More in the family

Butterflyfishes (Chaetodontidae)