Heniochus pleurotaenia

Lore & Background

The phantom bannerfish has a compressed laterally body, with the first rays of its dorsal fin stretched into short white feather-like filaments. Its background color is white with light chocolate to dark areas, and it features a brown face mask covering the mouth, eyes, and reaching to the base of the first dorsal fin rays. A little horn adorns the axis between the eyes, and a rounded frontal outgrowth gives the face profile a concave appearance. A second chocolate area forms an inverted 'v' starting at the ventral fins and ending on the anal fin, and a third chocolate area runs from the last dorsal fin rays to the base of the caudal peduncle.

The phantom bannerfish can be confused with the similar horned bannerfish, Heniochus varius, which lacks the reversed 'v' pattern. Juveniles lacking the white insert can be distinguished by the shorter extension of the first dorsal fin rays. This species is widespread from the Maldives to the western coast of Thailand and from the south tip of India to Java, inhabiting coral-rich areas in shallow lagoons and external reef slopes.

Reader's Guide

The phantom bannerfish is found in coral-rich areas of lagoons and seaward reefs, occurring in pairs or aggregations. In Indonesia it is normally observed in pairs in coastal waters, while in offshore areas these fish may aggregate to form schools; in the Maldives they can be seen in very large schools. They are frequently on shallow reef crests subject to surge and seem to prefer mixed algae and coral habitats down to 15 meters, but are also found in deeper offshore waters. This is an oviparous species that forms pairs during breeding. In some geographic areas, the phantom bannerfish is occasionally harvested for the aquarium trade, but the species does not currently appear threatened and is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. Its distinctive pattern and behavior in varying group sizes contribute to its ecological role in reef communities.

Did You Know?

• The phantom bannerfish can reach a maximum length of 17 cm.
• The species forms pairs during breeding and is oviparous.
• It can be confused with Heniochus varius, which lacks the reversed 'v' pattern on its sides.