Horned bannerfish (Heniochus varius)

Classification (WoRMS)

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

Accepted name: Heniochus varius · Authority: (Cuvier, 1829) · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 276750.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Taurichthys bleekeri Castelnau, 1875; Taurichthys varius Cuvier, 1829; Taurichthys viridis Cuvier, 1831.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=276750 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

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

Maximum length: 19 cm · Depth range: 0–30 m · Habitat zone: reef-associated · Body shape: short and / or deep · Vulnerability index: 10 of 100 · Fishery importance: minor commercial · Aquarium trade: commercial.

FishBase notes: Occur in deep lagoons and steep outer reef slopes, with mixed algae and coral growth (Ref. 48636). Solitary or in small groups. Feed on corals and other invertebrates (Ref. 9710). Oviparous (Ref. 205). Form pairs during breeding (Ref. 205). Maximum depth reported taken from Ref. 48636.

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 5592) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Heniochus-varius.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

2,714 georeferenced occurrence records for Heniochus varius are published through GBIF from 31 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 338 distinct locations from a sample of 2,714 records, omitting 42 inland records 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: Indonesia (517); Australia (486); Philippines (272); Fiji (271); American Samoa (225).

The full country table, WoRMS marine regions and the sampling notes are on this species' Distribution page.

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2385713) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2385713&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=276750 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Conservation status (IUCN Red List)

The IUCN Red List assesses Heniochus varius (Cuvier, 1829) 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 165652) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/165652/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2385713) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2385713/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-23.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

The horned bannerfish is a small-sized fish that can reach a maximum length of 19 cm. It has the typical deep-bodied and highly compressed body, typical of butterflyfishes.

The horned bannerfish is told apart from its congeners by the adults having a pair of obvious horns on the forehead, just above the eyes and a prominent bump on the forehead. The predominant colour on the body is brown to blackish broken by a thin white band behind the head and a second running from the spiny part of the dorsal fin to the caudal peduncle. The two white stripes create a triangle of the base colour on the body. The dorsal fin has 11 spines and 22–25 soft rays while the anal fin contains 3 spines and 17–18 soft rays.

The horned bannerfish is widespread throughout the tropical and subtropical waters of the central Indo-Pacific from Indonesia to Polynesia and from south Japan to New-Caledonia.

It inhabits areas rich in coral in shallow lagoons and external reef slopes from the surface to a depth of 30 meters.

The horned bannerfish is a solitary fish but it can live in pairs or even in small groups.

Its diet is varied and consists of coral polyps and various benthic invertebrates.

Heniochus varius was first formally described as Taurichthys varius in 1829 by the French anatomist Georges Cuvier (1769–1832) with the type locality given as Ambon Island in Indonesia.

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

Source: Wikipedia: Heniochus varius — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heniochus_varius (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.