Heniochus Black and White Butterflyfish

Facts about Heniochus Black and White Butterflyfish. "Scientific name for Heniochus Black and White Butterflyfish is Heniochus Acuminatus". The Heniochus Black and White Butterflyfish species is from Tahiti, Indonesia, Maldives, Vanuatu. The Heniochus Black and White Butterflyfish is recommended for a person with some experience in raising fish.

Features of the Heniochus Black and White Butterflyfish

Heniochus Black and White Butterflyfish has an elongated snout. It has a bright yellow body. At night, Heniochus Black and White Butterflyfish will settle into dark crevices, and their brilliant markings and colors fade and blend in with the reef background.
You can tell a Forcepsfish butterfly fish from the Big Longnose butterfly fish because it has a shorter snout and open beak. The Big Longnose butterfly fish has the species name Forcipiger longirostris. It also has small spots under its chin. There is also a brown version of the Forcipiger longirostris that looks a lot like a leaf. There are no brown versions of the Heniochus Black and White Butterflyfish.
The Heniochus Black and White Butterflyfish is one of the most common butterfly fish in the aquarium trade.

Different names that they are known as Schooling pennantfish, Schooling butterflyfish, Schooling pennant butterflyfish, Schooling coachman Bannerfish, Heniochus butterfly. The species is White with black markings. The area behind the pectoral fin is a lighter shade of yellow.

They can reach 10 inches (25 cm ) in length, but it is more common to be at about 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm). The average life span is about 5 years and can live 5 years and longer if properly cared for. Fear of fish (Ichthyophobia) The Heniochus Black and White Butterflyfish or Yellow Longnose) Butterflyfish is also called the Forcepsfish.
It is a member of the Chaetodontidae family.

Aquarium of the Heniochus Black and White Butterflyfish

Heniochus Black and White Butterflyfish should not be placed in a tank with other butterfly fish of another species. At least a 125 gallon (473 Liters) tank will be the minimum size for a single fish. They should have lots of live rock to graze upon. This Heniochus Black and White Butterflyfish does not do a good job controlling Aiptasia anemones. It will nip at soft coral but not enough to kill it. As a semi-tropical species, they will need the water to be between 72F and 78F. (22.2 to 25.6° C) The water pH needs to be 8.1 to 8.4. The Heniochus Black and White Butterflyfish do best when the water’s specific gravity is 1.019 to 1.025 is standard range for tropical fish.
The Heniochus Black and White Butterflyfish will fight with other Butterflyfish, presenting its long dorsal spines toward an attacker. It is most aggressive toward similar species like Forcipiger, but it is a very dosal fish. Do not put it in the same tank with surgeonfish, angelfish or triggerfish. This species should be the only one of its kind in the tank unless you have a known male-female pair or other very gentle fish.

Aquarium care of the Heniochus Black and White Butterflyfish

Test the water when preparing your tank for your Heniochus Black and White Butterflyfish: You will need to purchase a liquid tester so that you can test for Nitrates and Ammonia. The strip-style test kits are unreliable and a waste of money. You should use a dechlorinating product to remove the harmful chlorine from the water. Test for nitrite, ammonia, and proper PH. The ammonia should always be 0, the nitrite should be 0, and the nitrate should preferably be below 20 ppm. If it's at or above 40 parts per million (ppm), you have too many fish or are not changing the water often enough. Cycling your tank is important, Follow the steps to cycle your tank. This establishes healthy bacterial and chemical levels.

Disease of Heniochus Black and White Butterflyfish

Heniochus Black and White Butterflyfish are prone to Cryptocaryon and Amyloodinium disease. Wild butterfly fish are also often carriers of Lymphocystis, a virus that causes ugly growths on the fins.

Reproduction of the Heniochus Black and White Butterflyfish

These fish are almost all wild-caught, since they rarely breed in aquariums. This species has not been cultivated in captivity. In the wild butterflyfish are pelagic (of or relating to the open sea) spawners that will release many tiny eggs into the planktonic water column where they will float with the currents until hatching. after they hatch the fry are in a post-larval where their body, extending from the head, which is covered with large bony plates.

Diet of the Heniochus Black and White Butterflyfish

The Heniochus Black and White Butterflyfish are omnivorous, (definition-they eat both other animals and plants). They eat shrimp, crustaceans and commercial fish foods. Newly caught Heniochus Black and White Butterflyfish can be feed mysis shrimp and other crustaceans as well as commercial foods. You can feed it shaved shrimp or preparations meant for carnivorous fish. They should be fed several times a day. The Heniochus Black and White Butterflyfish is usually safe in a reef. Those with longer noses feed on invertebrates living inside cracks in the rocks, whereas those with shorter noses will prefer to feed on coral or sponges. In the wild, they will eat polychaete worms and the feet of sea urchins. In an aquarium, watch the newly added fish and remove those that feed on you coral, if you have any in the tank.

When purchasing a Heniochus Black and White Butterflyfish

When you introduce your fish to the tank, put the fish on the top of the tank in the bag, to even out the temperature for a couple of hours. Than get a separate bowl and pour the bag onto it. Than use your net to remove your Heniochus Black and White Butterflyfish and put him in his new tank. The reason this is done, is to not get any of the pet store water in the tank, in case of disease.