Family Zanclidae 469Moorish Idols Marine tropical Indo Pacific
Caudal peduncle unarmed; spine at corner of mouth in juveniles and protuberances in front of eyes in adults.
The Moorish Idol is most commonly found in coral-reef areas. The extended snout in the adult is well suited for foraging for invertebrates and algae in small crevices. The broad vertical black bars on a largely whitish background and elongated dorsal fin filament make it a very attractive fish. The butterfly-fish, Heniochus acuminatus, another popular aquarium fish, and the Moorish Idol bear a marked resemblance to one another.
One species, Zanclus cornutus (synonym Z. canescens) (see Nelson et al., 2004:247, regarding advice from J. E. Randall in accepting Z cornutus as the senior synonym).
Was this article helpful?
Post a comment