Pacific banner fish

Pacific banner fish
	Pacific banner fish ( Heniochus chrysostomus ), adult with a relatively short "pennant" and without an eye spot .
Systematics
	Spinefish (Acanthopterygii)
	Perch relatives (Percomorphaceae)
Order :	Surgeonfish (Acanthuriformes)
Family :	Butterflyfish (Chaetodon)
Genre :	Bannerfish ( Heniochus )
Type :	Pacific banner fish
Scientific name
	Heniochus chrysostomus
	Cuvier , 1831

The Pacific banner fish ( Heniochus chrysostomus ) is a species from the butterfly fish family (Chaetodon). It lives widespread in the coral reefs of the tropical Pacific, from Indonesia north to southern Japan , south to Queensland and the Rowley Shoals , in all of Micronesia , near New Caledonia , Tuvalu to Pitcairn .

features

The Pacific banner fish is 18 centimeters long. Its body is flattened on the sides, high back and of a white base color with three dark, broad bands. The top of the head is yellow. The first runs from the forehead over the eyes to the completely black pelvic fins. The second extends from the spines of the dorsal fin to the rear, soft-rayed part of the anal fin. The third color darkens the soft rayed part of the dorsal fin. The bands become progressively lighter from front to back, from black to medium or light brown. As with all members of the genus, the spines of the dorsal fin are elongated in Heniochus chrysostomus , but much more in juvenile fish than in adults. The membrane of the first fin spine is enlarged like a flag. Young fish have a double small eye-spot in the rear, soft-rayed part of the anal fin .

Fin formula : dorsal XII – XIII / 21–22, anal 17–18.

Way of life

The Pacific banner fish lives in coral reefs below the intertidal zone at depths of up to 15 meters, juvenile fish individually, especially in the shallow water of lagoons, adults mostly in pairs and especially in outer reefs. It feeds mainly on coral polyps .

literature

Rudie H. Kuiter , Helmut Debelius : Butterfly fish, Chaetodon . Ulmer Verlag, 2003, ISBN 3-8001-4243-0
Roger C. Steene: Butterfly and Angelfish, Volume 1 . Mergus Verlag, 1977, ISBN 3-88244-001-5

Web links

Commons : Heniochus chrysostomus - collection of images, videos and audio files

Pacific banner fish on Fishbase.org (English)
Heniochus chrysostomus inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013.2. Posted by: Myers, R. & Pratchett, M., 2009. Retrieved February 8, 2014.