Pennant coralfish
Encyclopedia
The pennant coralfish also known as the longfin bannerfish or coachman is a tropical fish of the family
Chaetodontidae. It is also known colloquially as the "poor man's moorish idol
".
making the fish reach around 25 cm. The fish's caudal, anal and pectoral fins are most commonly bright yellow
. It is very similar in appearance to the closely related Heniochus diphreutes, but has a longer and more circular shape.
in the wild but are omnivorous in an aquarium setting.
and Pacific oceans in reef settings, from southern Japan
to Micronesia
and Lord Howe Island
. Also found in the Seychelles
. Currently it is registered as introduced species
in the Black Sea
.
industry. It is a fish commonly sold as an alternative to the Moorish idol
, which are considered to be nearly impossible for most hobbyists to keep. It is fairly easy to care for when maintained in a properly-sized aquarium with peaceful tankmates.
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Chaetodontidae. It is also known colloquially as the "poor man's moorish idol
Moorish Idol
The moorish idol, Zanclus cornutus , is a small marine fish species, the sole extant representative of the family Zanclidae in order Perciform. A common inhabitant of tropical to subtropical reefs and lagoons, the moorish idol is notable for its wide distribution throughout the Indo-Pacific...
".
Appearance
The fish is mostly black and white, with an elongated dorsal finDorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...
making the fish reach around 25 cm. The fish's caudal, anal and pectoral fins are most commonly bright yellow
Yellow
Yellow is the color evoked by light that stimulates both the L and M cone cells of the retina about equally, with no significant stimulation of the S cone cells. Light with a wavelength of 570–590 nm is yellow, as is light with a suitable mixture of red and green...
. It is very similar in appearance to the closely related Heniochus diphreutes, but has a longer and more circular shape.
Behavior
The species are social fish, and found in pairs or in shoals. They are a very passive fish, and rarely territorial. Some individuals even act as cleaners, especially when young, by removing parasites from other fish.Diet
The pennant coralfish eats mostly planktonPlankton
Plankton are any drifting organisms that inhabit the pelagic zone of oceans, seas, or bodies of fresh water. That is, plankton are defined by their ecological niche rather than phylogenetic or taxonomic classification...
in the wild but are omnivorous in an aquarium setting.
Range
The pennant coralfish's natural distribution is in the IndianIndian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
and Pacific oceans in reef settings, from southern Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
to Micronesia
Micronesia
Micronesia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising thousands of small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It is distinct from Melanesia to the south, and Polynesia to the east. The Philippines lie to the west, and Indonesia to the southwest....
and Lord Howe Island
Lord Howe Island
Lord Howe Island is an irregularly crescent-shaped volcanic remnant in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, directly east of mainland Port Macquarie, and about from Norfolk Island. The island is about 11 km long and between 2.8 km and 0.6 km wide with an area of...
. Also found in the Seychelles
Seychelles
Seychelles , officially the Republic of Seychelles , is an island country spanning an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, some east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar....
. Currently it is registered as introduced species
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
in the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
.
Economic value
The fish is uncommonly harvested for anything other than the marine aquariumMarine aquarium
A marine aquarium is an aquarium that keeps marine plants and animals in a contained environment. Marine aquaria are further subdivided by hobbyists into fish only , fish only with live rock , and reef aquaria. Fish only tanks often showcase large or aggressive marine fish species and generally...
industry. It is a fish commonly sold as an alternative to the Moorish idol
Moorish Idol
The moorish idol, Zanclus cornutus , is a small marine fish species, the sole extant representative of the family Zanclidae in order Perciform. A common inhabitant of tropical to subtropical reefs and lagoons, the moorish idol is notable for its wide distribution throughout the Indo-Pacific...
, which are considered to be nearly impossible for most hobbyists to keep. It is fairly easy to care for when maintained in a properly-sized aquarium with peaceful tankmates.