Bannerfish
Heniochus diphreutes
FishSaltwater
- Care level
- Moderate
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Reef safe
- With caution
- Recommended tank
- 400 L
- Maximum size
- 18 cm
- Temperature
- 24–27 °C
- pH
- 8–8.4
- Group size
- ≥ 3
- Diet
- Omnivore
Care at a glance
The bannerfish is banded in black and white with a long white filament on the dorsal fin that trails behind it like a banner. It looks strikingly like the Moorish idol, but it is a true butterflyfish and far easier to keep in the aquarium.
Unlike most butterflies it feeds on plankton and hardly picks at corals, though it may go for feather dusters and polyps. Keep it in a small group in a spacious, tall tank and feed several times a day.
Related species
Keep Bannerfish in the BlubHub app
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Values are mainstream hobbyist guidance, not gospel — always watch what your own animals need.