Hemitaurichthys

Yellow pyramid butterflyfish ( Hemitaurichthys polylepis )

Hemitaurichthys is a comprehensive five species genus of butterfly fish ( Chaetodontidae ). Three of the species have a wide distribution area, H. polylepis comes from Christmas Island in the northeastern Indian Ocean to wide areas of the tropical Pacific ago. Incidentally, the Indian Ocean it is replaced by H. zoster. H. thompsoni lives mainly in the northern tropical Pacific, but was also detected in the Tuamotu Archipelago. Multispinosus H. and H. multispinus occur only in Pitcairn endemic.

Features

Hemitaurichthys species are 18 to 20 inches long, have high backs and less colorful than other butterflyfish genera and mainly colored gray, blackish and white. In herpes zoster, the mean hard rays of the dorsal fin and the anal fin are yellow, in H. polylepis the entire dorsal and anal fin, as well as adjacent areas of the body. An eye patch, as it has many other butterfly fish, is missing. Hemitaurichthys species are long-lived. Specimens of H. polylepis were maintained in the aquarium of the Musée de l' École de Nancy for 15 years, H. zoster reached there an age of 17 years.

Fins formula: Dorsal XII-XVI/18-27, Anal III-V/15-21.

Hemitaurichthys is the sister group of a clade of common Barbier- butterfly fish ( Johnrandallia nigrirostris ) and the banner fish ( Heniochus ).

Way of life

Hemitaurichthys are schooling fish and live in rocky and steep, flow- rich outer reefs. They feed on zooplankton.

Species

• Vielstachliger butterflyfish ( Hemitaurichthys multispinosus ) Randall, 1975
• Hemitaurichthys multispinus Burgess & Randall, 1978
• Yellow pyramid butterflyfish ( Hemitaurichthys polylepis ) ( Bleeker, 1857)
• Thompson's pyramid butterflyfish ( Hemitaurichthys thompsoni ) Fowler, 1923
• Black pyramid butterflyfish ( Hemitaurichthys zoster) ( Bennett, 1831)