Black Pyramid Butterflyfish

Hemitaurichthys zoster is a marine fish belonging to the Chaetodontidae family native to the Indian Ocean.

Description

The black pyramid butterflyfish is a small-sized fish that can reach a maximum length of 18 cm. Its body is compressed laterally with a rounded body profile. The snout is somewhat stretched with a small terminal protractile mouth. The body is black, crossed in its center by a broad white trapezoid band with a yellow top, corresponding to the center of the dorsal fin. The caudal fin is white.

Distribution & ecology

The black pyramid butterflyfish is widespread troughout tropical and subtropical waters of the Indian Ocean from the eastern coast of Africa to Java in Indonesia and from India to Mauritius. It lives in large schools on outer reef slopes, from which it can sally into open water to feed on plankton. The species is found at depths of 3-40 meters.

Conservation status

As a planktivore, the species may be affected by climate-induced reductions in planktonic productivity. As there do not appear to be any specific current threats, it is listed as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN.