Moorish Idol

ID points

• Broad black, white and yellow bands in very strong contrast
• The third dorsal spine trails a long white filament
• Tube snout juts forward, with small horns above the eyes

Basics

Family

Zanclidae

Length

16–23 cm

Depth

3-180 m

Regions

Indo-Pacific reefs

Distribution

Indo-Pacific and eastern Pacific coral reefs

Habitat

Coral reefs and lagoons

Diet

Sponges, encrusting invertebrates

Easily confused with

ButterflyfishFlattened disc-shaped body with a protruding snoutRaccoon ButterflyfishA black and white eye band, like the mask of a raccoonCopperband ButterflyfishFour broad copper-orange bands edged in black on a white ground

Fun fact

The moorish idol has a deep, laterally flattened body in bold blocks of black, white and yellow, with the third dorsal spine drawn out into a long trailing filament. It was the model for the character Gill in a famous animated film about reef fish. For all its beauty it is notoriously hard to keep alive in an aquarium, being a fussy feeder and highly sensitive to stress, which has earned it the nickname of the most beautiful suicide in the hobby.