Phantom bannerfish (Heniochus pleurotaenia)

Classification (WoRMS)

Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Teleostei · Order: Acanthuriformes · Family: Chaetodontidae · Genus: Heniochus.

Accepted name: Heniochus pleurotaenia · Authority: Ahl, 1923 · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 276749.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=276749 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

Measured values published by FishBase for Heniochus pleurotaenia. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.

Maximum length: 17 cm · Depth range: 1–25 m · Habitat zone: reef-associated · Body shape: short and / or deep · Vulnerability index: 10 of 100 · Fishery importance: commercial · Aquarium trade: commercial.

FishBase notes: Inhabit coral-rich areas of lagoon and seaward reef (Ref. 9710). Found in pairs or aggregations (Ref. 9710). In Indonesia usually seen in pairs in coastal waters. Offshore it may form schools and in the Maldives they occur in great numbers.

Found at various depths, often on shallow reef crest with some surge. Usually in mixed algae and coral habitats to about 15 m depth, but may go offshore (Ref. 48636). Oviparous (Ref. 205). Form pairs during breeding (Ref. 205).

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 12528) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Heniochus-pleurotaenia.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

232 georeferenced occurrence records for Heniochus pleurotaenia are published through GBIF from 6 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 44 distinct locations from a sample of 232 records, omitting 1 inland record that carry an institution's coordinates rather than a collection site; it shows where the species has been observed and reported, not a modelled range.

Most records by country or area: Maldives (171); India (24); Indonesia (18); Thailand (15); Sri Lanka (3); Philippines (1).

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2385723) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2385723&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=276749 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Conservation status (IUCN Red List)

The IUCN Red List assesses Heniochus pleurotaenia Ahl, 1923 as Least Concern (code LC). No trend, population estimate or threat analysis is given here, because none is available from this source without the Red List API; follow the source link for the full assessment, including its date.

Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (taxon 165608) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/165608/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2385723) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2385723/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-25.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

The phantom bannerfish is a small-sized fish that can reach a maximum length of 17 cm.

Its body is compressed laterally, with the first rays of its dorsal fin stretched in short white feather-like filaments.

The background color is white with light chocolate to dark areas and a brown face mask covering the mouth, eyes and reaches to the base of the first rays of the dorsal fin. Its stretched snout has a small terminal protractile mouth. A little horn adorns the axis between the eyes and a rounded frontal outgrowth gives the impression that the profile of its face is concave.

A second area forms an inverted "v" starting at the ventral fins and ending on the anal fin. A third chocolate area runs from the last rays of the dorsal fin to the base of caudal peduncle.

The phantom bannerfish can be confused with the very similar horned bannerfish, Heniochus varius, which however does not have the reversed "v" pattern on its sides. Juveniles who lack the white insert can be distinguished by the shorter extension of the first rays of the dorsal fin.

Distribution and habitat

The phantom bannerfish is widespread throughout the tropical and subtropical waters of the central Indo-Pacific from the Maldives to the western coast of Thailand and from the south tip of India to Java (Indonesia). It inhabits areas rich in coral in shallow lagoons and external reef slopes from the surface to a depth of 25 meters.

Habitat and biology

Heniochus pleurotaenia is found in coral-rich areas of lagoons and seaward reefs where it occurs in pairs or aggregations. In Indonesia it is normally observed in pairs in coastal waters while in offshore areas these fish may aggregate to create schools and in some areas, such as the Maldives, they can be seen in very large schools.

The phantom bannerfish are found at various depths, they are frequently on shallow reef crest which are subject to surge. They seem to prefer mixed algae and coral habitats down to depths of 15 m but are also found in deeper, offshore waters. This is an oviparous species which forms pairs during breeding.

Conservation status

In some geographic areas, the phantom bannerfish is occasionally harvested for the aquarium trade, however, the species does not currently appear threatened and is listed as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN.

Source: Wikipedia: Heniochus pleurotaenia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heniochus_pleurotaenia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.