Red Sea bannerfish | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Acanthuriformes |
Family: | Chaetodontidae |
Genus: | Heniochus |
Species: | H. intermedius |
Binomial name | |
Heniochus intermedius Steindachner, 1893 | |
The Red Sea bannerfish (Heniochus intermedius) is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish from the family Chaetodontidae. It is found in the western Indian Ocean. It has been recorded as an introduced species off Florida and as a Lessepsian migrant in the eastern Mediterranean Sea off Turkey.
The Red Sea bannerfish has a deeply compressed body which is coloured pale yellow fading to white on the beck towards the head. There are 2 wide, angled oblique vertical blackish bands, these are darker below and become more diffuse towards the back. The forward band starts at the origin of the dorsal fin, adjacent to or over the eye and runs to the pelvic fin. The rear band starts at the spiny part of the dorsal fin and runs to rear part of the anal fin. The pectoral, the soft part of the dorsal and anal fins and the caudal fin are yellow, while the pelvic fins are black. [2] It has a very elongated white filament extending from the anterior part of the dorsal fin dorsal filament which moves while the fish is swimming, resembling a banner being blown in the wind. [3] The dorsal fin contains 11 spines and 25-26 soft rays while the anal fin has 3 spines and 17-18 soft rays. [4] This species attains as maximum total length of 18 centimetres (7.1 in). [5]
The Red Sea bannerfish is native to the western Indian Ocean where it is found in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. [1] It has been introduced to the waters off south eastern Florida, probably by means of escapes or releases from the aquarium or trade. [2] Recently recorded in the Gulf of Antalya on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey following a likely introduction via the Suez Canal from the Red Sea, it remains very rare. [6] [7]
The Red Sea bannerfish is associated with coral reefs where it is most frequently recorded as a solitary fish or in pairs, although large schools have been recorded. The juveniles form large schools, particularly in areas of deep reef where there is a low density of corals. They feed on both zooplankton and benthic invertebrates but the extent to which they feed on live coral has still to be determined. [1] It is an oviparous species which forms monogamous pairs for spawning. [5]
The Red Sea bannerfish is collected for the aquarium trade [3] but its collection is of a limited scale and is not believed to be a threat to the species population. [1]
The Moorish idol is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Zanclidae. It is the only member of the monospecific genus Zanclus and the only extant species within the Zanclidae. This species is found on reefs in the Indo-Pacific region.
The sergeant major or píntano is a species of damselfish. It grows to a maximum length of about 22.9 centimetres.
The pennant coralfish, also known as the longfin bannerfish, reef bannerfish or coachman, is a species of fish of the family Chaetodontidae, native to the Indo-Pacific area.
Heniochus is a genus of marine ray-finned fish, butterflyfishes from the family Chaetodontidae. They are native to the Indo-Pacific. Though very similar in appearance to the Moorish idol (Zanclus cornutus), the members of this genus are not closely related to it.
The blacktip grouper, also known as the redbanded grouper, blacktipped cod, black-tipped rockcod, footballer cod, red-barred cod, red-barred rockcod, scarlet rock-cod or weathered rock-cod, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found in the tropical Indo-Pacific region. It is the type species of the genus Epinephelus.
The schooling bannerfish, also known as the false moorish idol, is a marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish from the family Chaetodontidae. It is native to the Indo-Pacific area.
The yellow-edged lyretail also known as the yellowedge coronation trout, fairy cod, lunar tail rock cod, lunartailed cod, lyre-tail cod or moontail seabass,, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found in the Indo-Pacific region and is more common than the congeneric white-edged lyretail.
The Indo-Pacific sergeant is a species of damselfish in the family Pomacentridae. It may also be known as the Sergeant major although this name is usually reserved for the closely related species Abudefduf saxatilis. The closely related Abudefduf caudobimaculatus was formerly considered to be synonymous with this species and, according to some authorities, is synonymous.
Pomacanthus maculosus, the yellowbar angelfish, half-moon angelfish, yellow-marked angelfish, yellowband angelfish or yellow-blotched angelfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a marine angelfish belonging to the family Pomacanthidae. It is found in the western Indian Ocean and, more recently, in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
Cephalopholis taeniops, the African hind, bluespotted sea bass or spotted grouper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is in the family Serranidae which also includes the anthias and sea basses. This species occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade and is a target for local fisheries. It is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean.
Lutjanus sebae, also known as red emperor, emperor red snapper, emperor snapper, government bream, king snapper, queenfish or red kelp, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.
The coral hawkfish, the pixy hawkfish or sharp-headed hawkfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a hawkfish belonging to the family Cirrhitidae. It is native to tropical reefs of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. It occasionally is found in the aquarium trade.
The bartail flathead, also known as the Indian flathead, gobi or Indo-Pacific flathead, is a species of largely marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Platycephalidae, the flatheads. This species is found in the Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific Ocean, and has invaded the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
Heniochus monoceros, the masked bannerfish, is a marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae. It is found in the Indo-Pacific area.
Heniochus chrysostomus, also known as the threeband pennantfish, threeband bannerfish or pennant bannerfish, is a marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish from the family Chaetodontidae. It is found in the Indo-Pacific region.
The dusky spinefoot, also known as the squaretail rabbitfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is native to the western Indian Ocean which has spread to the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal. Its fin spines contain venom. It is regarded as a food fish.
Heniochus singularius, the singular bannerfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish from the family Chaetodontidae. It is found in the Indo-Pacific region.
Heniochus pleurotaenia, the phantom bannerfish, is a marine fish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae, native from the central Indo-Pacific area.
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Epinephelus geoffroyi, the Red Sea spotted grouper, is a species of marine fish in the genus Epinephelus in the grouper family. The species was first described in 1870. E. geoffroyi was previously considered a synonym of Epinephelus chlorostigma, but Randall et al. recognized it as a valid species in 2013.