Description:

Dorsal spines: 12; Dorsal rays: 24-26; Anal spines: 3; Anal rays: 21.

Small butterflyfish with rounded body profile. The snout is somewhat protracted snout with a small terminal protrusible mouth.

Colour. Dark brown with broad white area in middle of Body. Dorsal spines over white area are yellow. Caudal fin is white. 
  

Maturity: Unknown. Max length : 18.0 cm TL.
 

Inhabits outer reef slopes exposed to currents (depth 1-40 m). Feeds on zooplankton well above the reef, to which it retreats at the approach of danger. Usually seen in 
large schools numbering up to several hundred individuals. Oviparous. Form pairs during breeding.

This species is not protected or subject to fishery regulations. It does not appear to be subject to the artisanal fishery. 

Photo courtesy Eleanor Brighton and Chris Mason-Parker (c) 2022 Blue Safari Seychelles/Marine Conservation Society, Seychelles. Photograph taken at Alphonse group 2022.

Froese, R. & D. Pauly. (Eds.) (2022). FishBase. https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Hemitaurichthys-zoster.html (11/07/22). 
iNaturalistUK. Black Pyramid Butterflyfish Hemitaurichthys zoster. https://uk.inaturalist.org/taxa/102620-Hemitaurichthys-zoster (11/07/22). 
Myers, R. & Pratchett, M. (2010). Hemitaurichthys zoster. The IUCN Red List 2010: https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T165719A6101058.en. (11/07/22).
Smith, M. & Heemstra, P. (Eds.) (1999). Smiths’ Sea Fishes Edition 6. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 10.1007/978-3-642-82858-4
 

Nevill, J.E.G., Brighton, E. & Mason-Parker, C. (2022). Hemitaurichthys zoster, Black pyramid butterflyfish. Seychelles Seatizens. www.seatizens.sc. https://seatizens.sc/species/hemitaurichthys-zoster-bennett-1831/