🐠 Masked Bannerfish (Heniochus monoceros)
A White-to-Yellow Body With a Black Masked Face • A Small Bony Knob Above Each Eye • Solitary as a Juvenile, Pairing for Life as an Adult
 
📋 A note on naming: the Masked Bannerfish is sometimes also called the "Horned Bannerfish," a nickname it shares with the distinct Humphead Bannerfish (Heniochus varius), given both species display a similar bony protuberance on the forehead; the reliable way to tell them apart is the Masked Bannerfish's black facial mask against a white-to-yellow body, versus the Humphead's overall brown colouration.
The Masked Bannerfish, also known as the Masked Coachman, has a striking white-to-yellow body with a black masked face, a broad black bar crossing behind the dorsal fin filament, and a small, pointed bony knob above each eye.
It comes from a wide range across the Indo-Pacific, from East Africa to the Tuamotu Islands, and from southern Japan to New Caledonia, inhabiting lagoon and seaward reefs rich in coral growth, to depths of around 30 metres. Every Masked Bannerfish we ship is feeding well.
This species is solitary as a juvenile, often pairing up as an adult, and can be found hovering side by side under tabular corals. It's a shy, docile species that revels in open swimming space, so caution is needed when housing it with more aggressive tankmates. This species is not reef safe, and will feed on benthic invertebrates. It reaches up to 24cm, so a 470L tank suits it well.
 
💡 Highlights
🎨 White-Yellow Body With Black Masked Face: A distinctive, elegant bannerfish
🦄 Bony Forehead Knob: A striking feature, distinguished from a similarly nicknamed species by its black mask
😌 Shy and Docile: Best kept with calm, non-aggressive tankmates
⚠️ Not Reef Safe: Will feed on benthic invertebrates
💑 Pairs for Life: Solitary as a juvenile, pairing up as an adult