Common Name: Longfin Bannerfish

Distribution: Common in the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific region: from East Africa and the Persian Gulf to the Society Islands, north to southern Japan, throughout Micronesia and south to Lord Howe Island. In Australia recorded from around Perth in Western Australia, across the tropical north, through the Gulf of Carpentaria, the Coral Sea and Great Barrier Reef in Queensland south to southern New South Wales and including Lord Howe Island.

Ecological Notes: Frequents deep, protected lagoons and channels and outer reef slopes, usually staying within a few metres of the reef. Depth to 178 m, usually 15 – 75 m.

Additional Notes: Has a rounded white coloured body with a long tapering filament as first dorsal fin. Two black bands run vertically on the sides. with a third black saddle across the eyes. Dorsal, pectoral and caudal fins yellow. Longer pointed snout and less rounded breast distinguishes this species from very similar H. diphreutes. Occurs alone, especially juveniles, in pairs or in small schools. Feeds on zooplankton and invertebrates, juveniles sometimes acting as cleaners on other fish species. Grows to 25 cm.

References: R. Stuart-Smith, G. Edgar, A. Green, I. Shaw, Tropical Marine Fishes of Australia. Reed New Holland Publishers, 2015. p.216.

Atlas of Living Australia website at https://bie.ala.org.au/search?q=heniochus+acuminatus. Accessed 01/06/18.

FishBase. Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2018. World Wide Web electronic publication. https://fishbase.ca/summary/Heniochus-acuminatus.html. Accessed 01/06/18.