Fun Longfin Bannerfish Facts For Kids

Did you ever wish to have beautiful small fish in an aquarium? The longfin bannerfish may be an ideal pet for an aquarium. This fish is an eye-catcher small fish with a long dorsal fin resembling a banner, giving it the name bannerfish. They have white and black stripes and a long tail and are a size of an adult palm of a human. It is also referred to as black and white heniochus, pennant coralfish, reef bannerfish, wimple fish, feather-fin coralfish, and thread back. They look very similar and are often confused with Moorish Idol. The schooling bannerfish is also often confused with the longfin bannerfish. But the schooling bannerfish (Heniochus diphreutes) is a different species, which live in groups, whereas the longfin bannerfish (Heniochus acuminatus), mostly live in pairs or alone less frequently in schools.They are friendly, peaceful, and less aggressive fish. Suitable for a life of captivity, like the aquarium, unlike their close relatives, butterflyfish, or their look-alike Moorish Idol.For more relatable content, check out these channel catfish facts and rainbow trout facts for kids.‍

What do they prey on? Zooplankton, algae, comb jellies, coral, sessile invertebrates

What do they eat? Omnivores

Average litter size? Many

How much do they weigh? up to 0.06 lb (27 g)

How long are they? up to 10 in (25 cm)

How tall are they? N/A

What do they look like? White and black

Skin Type Scales

What were their main threats? N/a

What is their conservation status? Least Concern

Where you’ll find them? Lagoons, Reef Slopes

Locations Indo-pacific, South And North Japan, Micronesia

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Heniochus

Class Actinopterygii

Family Chaetodontidae

Longfin Bannerfish Interesting FactsWhat type of animal is a longfin bannerfish?Longfin bannerfish is a marine animal, a fish belonging to the butterflyfish family Chaetodontidae.What class of animal does a longfin bannerfish belong to?With the scientific name Heniochus acuminatus, the longfin bannerfish belongs to the class Actinopterygii.How many longfin bannerfishes are there in the world?The distribution of longfin bannerfish species is extensive, and the global population is large. Therefore, as of now, their numbers are not a concern.Where does a longfin bannerfish live?With a wide distribution and originating from the Pacific Ocean, the longfin bannerfish, Heniochus acuminatus, can be found from the coast of East Africa in the Indo pacific oceanic region until the Society islands in the pacific ocean. On the northern side, it has distributed in south Japan and the south region, until Lord Howe Island. In addition, they are present throughout Micronesia.What is a longfin bannerfish’s habitat?The Pennant coralfish species are associated with coral reefs and sheltered coastal bays. They like relatively deep waters from the protected lagoon, outer reef slopes from up to 246 ft (75 m) deep, or channels. Commonly found in many marine protected areas, they are also harvested for the aquarium trade. They are also very comfortable in a large tank. They are famous as poor man’s Moorish Idol in the aquarium because of their affordability.Who do longfin bannerfishes live with?The Black and white heniochus, who are often alone, generally live in pairs. Sometimes, they are also found to live in schools, though not frequently. The juveniles are mostly solitary. In aquarium and tank, they co-exist with other non-aggressive fish, being mostly to themselves.How long does a longfin bannerfish live?The life span of Pennant coralfish is about five years or more when properly cared for.How do they reproduce?Heniochus acuminatus, longfin bannerfish, cannot breed in a captive environment like an aquarium or tank. In the wild, they are pelagic spawners that release many eggs into the water. These small buoyant eggs float with the currents and reach the surface. They hatch in 18 to 30 hours at a temperature of 84.2 0F (29 0C). The larvae are planktonic, with large bony plates until they hatch in few weeks to months.What is their conservation status?The conservation status of the black and white Heniochus is of Least Concern, as they are widely distributed around the world. They are also widely available in captivity as part of aquariums and tanks. Currently, there are no threats to this fish, and hence they are not endangered.To survive from their natural predators like larger reef fish like snappers, moray eels, groupers, etc., they use their eye band, which appears like a false eye and confuses the predators. They also use their sharp dorsal fin to defend themselves against any attacks, to protect themselves.Longfin Bannerfish Fun FactsWhat do longfin bannerfishes look like?Longfin bannerfish, Heniochus acuminatus, is a small fish with an average length of 6 in (15 cm). Its soft body is white, with two prominent black bands crossing vertically behind the eye. It has soft yellow dorsal, caudal fins beyond the second black stripe. The pectoral fins are also yellow, which is typical of this species. The first dorsal fin rays extend in a long white filament or tail with a laterally compressed body. They have bristle-like teeth and long, black-spotted snout and jaws suitable to feed on foods like tiny prey in coral reef crevices or flake food in the aquarium. With a white head, the black eyes are linked by a black band.How cute are they?The description of the longfin bannerfish makes it cute and attractive with its bright white and black body and yellow dorsal, caudal, and pectoral fins. This species is famous for the aquarium trade, as they are peaceful by nature and happy in captivity. They are similar in size to other butterflyfish.How do they communicate?This species of bannerfish have tactile and chemical forms of communication. They release pheromones characterized by a typical smell to indicate spawning. They also produce sounds using muscular movements twisting the body. The intensity and duration of these sounds vary for different purposes such as attracting a mate, courtship, and territory definition.How big is a longfin bannerfish?Heniochus acuminatus longfin bannerfish can grow up to a maximum length of 10 in (25 cm), though the average length is about 6 in (15 cm).How fast can a longfin bannerfish swim?Heniochus acuminatus longfin bannerfish is not known for its speed of swimming but is very comfortable swimming around a diver and up to a depth of 246 ft ( 25 m).How much does a longfin bannerfish weigh?Longfin bannerfish, a species of butterflyfish, are light-weight marine fish and can weigh up to 0.06 lb (27 g).What are the male and female names of the species?The male of this species is called male longfin bannerfish, and the female is referred to as the female longfin bannerfish.What would you call a baby longfin bannerfish?The baby longfin bannerfish is called larva until it hatches, and the young ones are referred to as juveniles.What do they eat?The omnivorous black and white Heniochus eat foods like benthic invertebrates, zooplankton, algae, comb jellies, coral, and sessile invertebrates wild. The juveniles are known to act as cleaner fish as their food is parasites of other fish. In aquarium and tank habitats, they feed on a flake food diet, worms, brine, etc.Are they dangerous?They are far from dangerous. The longfin bannerfish species are friendly, non-aggressive marine fish and can be in captivity like aquarium and tank by a beginner.Would they make a good pet?The black and white longfin bannerfish is an excellent choice for aquarium pets. They have beautiful colors on the body, dorsal, caudal, and pectoral fins. They get along with many other species easily. They need a large tank for enough swimming space, and they can co-exist with other fish, as they are relatively peaceful and adaptable. But they could get bullied by other fish species like triggerfish or tangs. So they are usually lumped with other marine fish like white butterflyfish in the aquarium or tank. Their diet, like flake food, can be easily managed in an aquarium.Did you know…Brightly colored, the longfin bannerfish species is an attractive-looking fish and can change colors at night. Their colors darken, and the white bands turn dark gray. If the light is switched on, they immediately change back to their daytime colors in as little as a minute.Longfin bannerfish Indonesia is also a famous painting.Why is the longfin bannerfish also known as the coachman and coralfish?Sometimes, the longfin bannerfish moves in schools like its cousin schooling bannerfish (Heniochus diphreutes) and hence is also known as coachman because of their common characteristic to live in schools, its social behavior. It gets the name coralfish because of its natural habitat of coral reefs.What’s unique about the longfin bannerfish?There is no sexual difference in the species of Longfin bannerfish. They are gonochoristic, meaning each fish is either male or female and does not change sex, unlike many other fish species.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other fish from our ladyfish facts and hogfish facts pages.You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Longfin bannerfish coloring pages.

What type of animal is a longfin bannerfish?

Longfin bannerfish is a marine animal, a fish belonging to the butterflyfish family Chaetodontidae.

Fun Longfin Bannerfish Facts For Kids

What do they prey on? Zooplankton, algae, comb jellies, coral, sessile invertebrates

What do they eat? Omnivores

Average litter size? Many

How much do they weigh? up to 0.06 lb (27 g)

How long are they? up to 10 in (25 cm)

How tall are they? N/A

What do they look like? White and black

Skin Type Scales

What were their main threats? N/a

What is their conservation status? Least Concern

Where you’ll find them? Lagoons, Reef Slopes

Locations Indo-pacific, South And North Japan, Micronesia

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Heniochus

Class Actinopterygii

Family Chaetodontidae

Fun Longfin Bannerfish Facts For Kids

What do they prey on? Zooplankton, algae, comb jellies, coral, sessile invertebrates

What do they eat? Omnivores

Average litter size? Many

How much do they weigh? up to 0.06 lb (27 g)

How long are they? up to 10 in (25 cm)

How tall are they? N/A

What do they look like? White and black

Skin Type Scales

What were their main threats? N/a

What is their conservation status? Least Concern

Where you’ll find them? Lagoons, Reef Slopes

Locations Indo-pacific, South And North Japan, Micronesia

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Heniochus

Class Actinopterygii

Family Chaetodontidae

Fun Longfin Bannerfish Facts For Kids

What do they prey on? Zooplankton, algae, comb jellies, coral, sessile invertebrates

What do they eat? Omnivores

Average litter size? Many

How much do they weigh? up to 0.06 lb (27 g)

How long are they? up to 10 in (25 cm)

How tall are they? N/A

What do they look like? White and black

Skin Type Scales

What were their main threats? N/a

What is their conservation status? Least Concern

Where you’ll find them? Lagoons, Reef Slopes

Locations Indo-pacific, South And North Japan, Micronesia

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Heniochus

Class Actinopterygii

Family Chaetodontidae