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Masked Bannerfish
Heniochus monoceros Cuvier, 1831
The Masked Bannerfish can be recognised by its colouration. It has a black face with white lines above and in front of the eyes. The nape (glossary) is brown.
There is a broad black bar crossing the body from behind the dorsal fin filament to the black pelvic fins.
This species grows to 23cm in length.
It eats mostly benthic invertebrates such as polychaete worms.
The Masked Bannerfish is found in tropical marine waters throughout the Indo-West and Central Pacific.
In Australia it occurs from the offshore reefs of north-western Western Australia and from the northern Great Barrier Reef south to central New South Wales.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
Further reading
- Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
- Allen, G.R., Steene, R. & M. Allen. 1998. A Guide to Angelfishes & Butterflyfishes. Odyssey Publishing/Tropical Reef Research. Pp. 250.
- Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
- Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437.
- Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.
