Hemitaurichthys zoster
| Hemitaurichthys zoster | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Acanthuriformes |
| Family: | Chaetodontidae |
| Genus: | Hemitaurichthys |
| Species: | H. zoster
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| Binomial name | |
| Hemitaurichthys zoster (Bennett, 1831)
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| Synonyms[2] | |
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Hemitaurichthys zoster, commonly known as the brown-and-white butterflyfish, black pyramid butterflyfish, zoster butterflyfish, or brushtooth butterflyfish, is a marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae native to the Indian Ocean.
Description
[edit]The black pyramid butterflyfish is a small-sized fish that can reach a maximum length of 18 cm.[3][4]
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.[5]
Distribution & ecology
[edit]Hemitaurichthys zoster is widespread throughout tropical and subtropical waters of the Indian Ocean from the eastern coast of Africa to Java in Indonesia and from India to Mauritius.[1][3] It lives in large schools on outer reef slopes, from which it can sally into open water to feed on plankton.[6] The species is found at depths of 3–40 meters.[7][8]
Taxonomy and etymology
[edit]Hemitaurichthys zoster was first formally described as Chaetodon zoster in 1831 by the English zoologist Edward Turner Bennett (1797–1837) with the type locality given as Mauritius.[9] The specific name zoster means "belt" or "girdle" and is presumed to refer to the wide, white band in the middle of this fish's body.[10]
Utilisation
[edit]Hemitaurichthys zoster is rare in the aquarium trade[1], but are very unique in that they are one of the only species of butterfly fish near-guaranteed to not consume corals or other sessile invertebrates, which is the single most well known and iconic trait of most butterfly fishes, and is typically the prohibiting factor for not keeping them in reef aquaria that contain large amounts of fleshy coral. These butterfly fish have a viable tolerance to chelated and ionic copper medications, and thus can be kept in quarantine systems that employ these anti-parasitic techniques.
Conservation status
[edit]Hemitaurichthys zoster is a planktivore, and 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.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Myers, R.F.; Pratchett, M. (2010). "Hemitaurichthys zoster". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T165719A6101058. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T165719A6101058.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Hemitaurichthys zoster". FishBase. December 2019 version.
- ^ a b Lieske & Myers (2009). Coral reef fishes. Princeton University Press. ISBN 9780691089959.
- ^ Heemstra, P.C. (1986). "Chaetodontidae". In M.M. Smith & P.C. Heemstra (eds.). Smiths' sea fishes. Berlin: Springer-Verlag. pp. 627–632.
- ^ "Zoster butterflyfish". liveaquaria.com. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
- ^ Anderson, C.; Hafiz, A. (1987). Common reef fishes of the Maldives. Part 1. Republic of Maldives: Novelty Press.
- ^ Rudie Kuiter (2004). Chaetodontidae & Microcanthidae. Aquatic Photographics. ISBN 0953909735.
- ^ Allen, G.R. & Erdmann, M.V. (2012). Reef fishes of the East Indies. Tropical Reef Research. Vol. I–III. Perth, Australia: University of Hawai'i Press.
- ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Chaetodon zoster". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
- ^ Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara (21 July 2020). "Order ACANTHURIFORMES (part 1): Families LOBOTIDAE, POMACANTHIDAE, DREPANEIDAE and CHAETODONTIDAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
External links
[edit]- Photos of Hemitaurichthys zoster on Sealife Collection
