Hemitaurichthys zoster (Bennett, 1831)
Brown-and-white butterflyfish
Hemitaurichthys zoster
photo by Patzner, R.

Family:  Chaetodontidae (Butterflyfishes)
Max. size:  18 cm TL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  reef-associated; marine; depth range 1 - 40 m, non-migratory
Distribution:  Indian Ocean from East Africa and Oman to Andaman Sea and Indonesia (western Sumatra, and south-western Java).
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 12-12; Dorsal soft rays (total): 24-26; Anal spines: 3-3; Anal soft rays: 21-21. Description: Readily identified by the black body with a broad white band and white tail (Ref. 48636). Snout length 3.0-3.6 in HL; body depth 1.5-1.6 in SL (Ref. 90102).
Biology:  Inhabit open water off the reef edge (Ref. 6113), to depths greater than 35 m (Ref. 9710). Form large schools. Feed on zooplankton and algae (Ref. 5503) above the reef (Ref. 5372). Oviparous (Ref. 205). Form pairs during breeding (Ref. 205). Replaced by H. polylepsis at Christmas and Cocos-Keeling Islands (Ref. 90102).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 09 October 2009 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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