Horned Bannerfish, Heniochus varius (Cuvier 1829)
Other Names: Horned Bull-fish, Humphead Bannerfish, Hunchbacked Bullfish, Hunchbacked Coralfish
A pair of Horned Bannerfish, Heniochus varius, at Osprey Reef, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia. Source: Dave Harasti. License: All rights reserved
Summary:
A brown to blackish bannerfish with a narrow white band on the rear of the head, and another from the dorsal-fin spines to the caudal peduncle. Adults have a pair of horns above the eyes and a large bony protruberance on the head.
Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2019, Heniochus varius in Fishes of Australia, accessed 13 Sep 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/428
Horned Bannerfish, Heniochus varius (Cuvier 1829)
More Info
Distribution |
Offshore reefs of north Western Australia, Ashmore Reef in the Timor Sea, and the northern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland to the Solitary Islands, new South Wales; also Christmas Island in the eastern Indian Ocean, and at Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea. Elsewhere the species occurs in the east-Indo-west-central Pacific. Inhabits areas of rich coral growth in reef lagoons and on seaward slopes, often sheltering in caves. |
Feeding |
Corallivore. unknown whether the Horned Bannerfish feeds exclusively on live coral for food. |
Species Citation |
Taurichthys varius Cuvier 1829, Le Règne Animal Vol. 2: 129. Type locality (neotype): Ambon Island, Moluccas, Indonesia (originally as East Indies). |
Author |
Bray, D.J. 2019 |
Resources |
Horned Bannerfish, Heniochus varius (Cuvier 1829)
References
Allen, G.R. 1980. Butterfly and Angelfishes of the World. New York : John Wiley & Sons Vol. 2 pp. 149-352 figs 214-510.
Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 292 pp. 106 pls.
Allen, G.R., Steene, R.C. & Orchard, M. 2007. Fishes of Christmas Island. Christmas Island : Christmas Island Natural History Association 2 edn, 284 pp.
Allen, G.R. & Swainston, R. 1988. The Marine Fishes of North-Western Australia. A field guide for anglers and divers. Perth, WA : Western Australian Museum vi 201 pp., 70 pls.
Burgess, W.E. 1978. Butterflyfishes of the World. New Jersey : T.F.H. Publications Inc. 832 pp. figs.
Castelnau, F.L. de 1875. Researches on the fishes of Australia. Intercolonial Exhibition Essays. 2. pp. 1–52 in, Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition of 1876 : Official Record. Melbourne. (described as Taurichthys bleekeri)
Cuvier, G.L. 1829. Le Règne Animal Distribué d'après son Organisation, pour servir de base à l'histoire naturelle des animaux et d'introduction à l'anatomie comparée. Poissons. Paris : Fortin, Masson et Co. Vol. 2 Nouvelle édition, pp. 122-406.
Grant, E.M. 1975. Guide to Fishes. Brisbane : Queensland Government, Co-ordinator General’s Department 640 pp.
Hutchins, J.B. 2001. Biodiversity of shallow reef fish assemblages in Western Australia using a rapid censusing technique. Records of the Western Australian Museum 20: 247-270
Kuiter, R.H. 1992. Tropical Reef-Fishes of the Western Pacific, Indonesia and Adjacent Waters. Jakarta : PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama 314 pp. pls.
Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. A comprehensive reference for divers and fishermen. Sydney, NSW, Australia : New Holland Publishers xvii, 434 pp.
Pyle, R. 2001. Chaetodontidae, Pomacanthidae. pp. 3224-3286 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, V.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 5 2791-3379 pp.
Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & Steene, R. 1990. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 507 pp. figs.
Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & Steene, R. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 557 pp. figs.
Rocha, L.A., Allen, G., Myers, R. & Pratchett, M. 2010. Heniochus varius. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010: e.T165652A6081573. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T165652A6081573.en. Downloaded on 06 August 2019.
Steene, R.C. 1978. Butterfly and Angelfishes of the World. Australia. Sydney : A.H. & A.W. Reed Vol. 1 144 pp. 216 figs.