Schooling Bannerfish is a type of marine butterflyfish found in the Indo-Pacific region. It’s also called the False Moorish Idol.
This fish belongs to the Chaetodontidae family and has ray-like fins. It lives mainly near outer reef slopes and current channels.
Young schooling bannerfish gather around small, isolated reefs, while adults form large groups above the ocean floor.
In Indonesia, this fish is commonly found between 40 to 50 meters deep but can go down to 200 meters.
Schooling bannerfish swim in both bottom and middle water layers (benthopelagic) and eat plankton.
Both young and adult fish sometimes clean other sea creatures by eating parasites off them.
However, this fish is not reef-safe as it can harm coral reefs or other inhabitants.
Schooling Bannerfish Interesting Facts
- Schooling bannerfish is a marine butterflyfish found in the Indo-Pacific region, with habitats stretching from the Red Sea to Australia and Hawaii.
- These fish live near reef slopes and current channels, swimming in both bottom and middle water layers while feeding on plankton.
- Growing up to 8.3 inches (21.0 centimeters) long, this fish has unique markings: two wide dark-brown stripes, a small brown stripe near the eye, and yellow back fins.
Schooling Bannerfish Habitat
Schooling bannerfish is a fish found in the Indo-Pacific region.
Its habitat stretches from the Red Sea and South Africa to warm areas of Australia and the Hawaiian Islands.
This fish lives near reefs and doesn’t migrate. It’s typically found at depths between 5 to 210 meters, but it’s most commonly seen between 5 to 30 meters.
Schooling bannerfish thrives in subtropical waters, living between latitudes 30°N to 30°S.
| Water Temperature: | Unknown |
| Water pH: | Unknown |
| Water Hardness: | Unknown |
Schooling Bannerfish Physical Characteristics
Size: 8.3 inches (21.0 centimeters)
Schooling bannerfish grows up to 8.3 inches (21.0 centimeters) long. It has 12 to 13 spines on its dorsal fin and 23 to 25 soft rays.
On the anal fin, it has 3 spines and 17 to 19 soft rays. This fish has a white body with two wide, slanted dark-brown stripes going from the top fin to the belly and bottom fin.
There’s also a small brown stripe running from the head to the eye. The back part of its top fin and tail fin are yellow.
The snout makes up around one-third to one-fourth of the head length, and the body is about 1.2 to 1.5 times longer than it is deep.
Schooling Bannerfish Reproduction
Schooling bannerfish lay eggs (oviparous) and form pairs when breeding.
Schooling Bannerfish Scientific Classification
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Chaetodontidae |
| Genus: | Heniochus |
| Scientific Name: | Heniochus diphreutes |
| Also Known As: | Schooling Bannerfish, False Moorish Idol |
| Conservation Status: | Least Concern |