Johnrandallia nigrirostris

Barbier butterflyfish ( Johnrandallia nigrirostris )

The Barber butterflyfish ( Johnrandallia nigrirostris ) is a species of the family of butterfly fish ( Chaetodontidae ). He comes in the eastern Pacific from the Gulf of California, where he is the most common butterflyfish, to Panama before and is also found in the Isla del Coco, the Isla de Malpelo and the Galapagos Islands. He lives in depths of six to twelve, at most up to 40 meters.

Features

The Barber butterflyfish can be up to 20 inches long, but is usually at a length of 14 to 16 centimeters. His body is laterally flattened and high backs, the head profile steep and concave, pulled out the muzzle. The teeth are arranged in a very small and in a comb-like band. Unlike Chaetodon the sidelines is fully formed, extends to the tail fin is curved stem and below the topline. The body is colored yellow or silvery, the head is white. In silvery specimens the fins and the side line are yellow. Muzzle, forehead, the edge of the gill cover, the pectoral fins base and the lower part of the dorsal fin and the tail fins are black handle.

Fins formula: Dorsal XI-XII/24-25, Anal III/18-20.

The Barber butterflyfish is the sister species of banner fish ( Heniochus ).

Way of life

The Barber butterflyfish lives in large schools over rocky and coral reefs. It feeds on algae, snails and small crustaceans. He also acts as cleaner fish and eats from parasites and dead skin of larger fish. This can lead to mass cleaning operations that require more than a hundred barber Butterflyfish hundreds of "customers" use. This behavior is unique among the butterfly fish.