Schooling banner fish

Scientific name : Heniochus diphreutes

Medium size butterfly fish (18 cm), with the typical banner fish dorsal filament. Two black bands, the second starts behind the dorsal filament. Yellow pectoral, dorsal and caudal fins. Grey spotted snout and nape. Living along the reef front or external reef, in large schools swimming in mid water. Typical Plankton feeder. Juveniles can act as cleaners, feeding on parasites collected on other fish skin. Resembles to other Heniochus species. The filament longer than the tail and acute is typical of 2 species, Heniochus acuminatus and Heniochus diphreutes. Compared with H. acuminatus, H. diphreutes is smaller, with shorter snout, snout and nape spots lighter, and usually lives in large schools. Often beginners can confuse the Heniochus and the moorish idol Zanclus cornutus (fam. zanclidae). The latter has more rounded shape, snout more elongate,balck tail. The light band is yellowish, snout and nape have black and orange decorations

Associated organisms
Unknown, juveniles have a generalized symbiosis toward other fish species, that clean from parasites.

Heniochus diphreutes Author MASSIMO BOYER Place: Indonesia, Bunaken Id: 3

	Description	Author	Place	Size
	Heniochus diphreutes	MATTEO GUARDINI	Indonesia, Likupang	234 kB