Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
The Black and White Butterfly Fish (Heniochus diphreutes), often called the Schooling Bannerfish or False Moorish Idol, is a striking marine species featuring a distinct, highly compressed body with alternating bold black and white vertical bands, a bright yellow dorsal and caudal fin, and an elegantly elongated white dorsal filament. Highly favored by reef keepers as a peaceful, hardier alternative to the notoriously difficult Moorish Idol, it is unique among butterflyfish relatives for its natural schooling behavior and planktivorous diet.
Tank Requirements
Minimum Tank Size: 125 gallons or larger; as a schooling fish that thrives in groups, it demands massive swimming space and high water volume to accommodate multiple specimens.
Aquarium Decor: Open upper and middle swimming channels paired with sparse but sturdy rockwork structures to allow unobstructed schooling paths while providing a few large overhangs for nighttime shelter.
Temperature: 72°F – 78°F (22°C – 26°C).
Salinity (Specific Gravity): 1.020 – 1.025.
pH Range: 8.1 – 8.4.
Care and Feeding
Diet: Omnivorous planktivore; feeds directly out of the open water column, requiring multiple daily feedings of vitamin-enriched mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, finely chopped krill, spirulina flakes, and high-quality pellet foods.
Reef Safe Rating: Reef safe; unlike its nearly identical cousin Heniochus acuminatus (which is a notorious coral eater), Heniochus diphreutes naturally targets zooplankton and is completely safe around most small polyp stony (SPS) corals, large polyp stony (LPS) corals, soft corals, and clam mantles.
Temperament: Peaceful; it is exceptionally docile and makes an excellent community resident, though it should be kept in small groups of three or more individuals introduced to the tank simultaneously to encourage natural schooling behavior
The Black and White Butterfly Fish (Heniochus diphreutes), often called the Schooling Bannerfish or False Moorish Idol, is a striking marine species featuring a distinct, highly compressed body with alternating bold black and white vertical bands, a bright yellow dorsal and caudal fin, and an elegantly elongated white dorsal filament. Highly favored by reef keepers as a peaceful, hardier alternative to the notoriously difficult Moorish Idol, it is unique among butterflyfish relatives for its natural schooling behavior and planktivorous diet.
Tank Requirements
Minimum Tank Size: 125 gallons or larger; as a schooling fish that thrives in groups, it demands massive swimming space and high water volume to accommodate multiple specimens.
Aquarium Decor: Open upper and middle swimming channels paired with sparse but sturdy rockwork structures to allow unobstructed schooling paths while providing a few large overhangs for nighttime shelter.
Temperature: 72°F – 78°F (22°C – 26°C).
Salinity (Specific Gravity): 1.020 – 1.025.
pH Range: 8.1 – 8.4.
Care and Feeding
Diet: Omnivorous planktivore; feeds directly out of the open water column, requiring multiple daily feedings of vitamin-enriched mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, finely chopped krill, spirulina flakes, and high-quality pellet foods.
Reef Safe Rating: Reef safe; unlike its nearly identical cousin Heniochus acuminatus (which is a notorious coral eater), Heniochus diphreutes naturally targets zooplankton and is completely safe around most small polyp stony (SPS) corals, large polyp stony (LPS) corals, soft corals, and clam mantles.
Temperament: Peaceful; it is exceptionally docile and makes an excellent community resident, though it should be kept in small groups of three or more individuals introduced to the tank simultaneously to encourage natural schooling behavior