Zanclus cornutus is the only species in the family and is often favoured by aquarists; Z. canescens (Linnaeus) is a synonym based on the post-larval stage, which can reach up to 8 cm in size.
Details
§ 01
size
Max. 22 cm
color
White anteriorly, yellow posteriorly. Two broad black bars, one from nape to thorax and abdomen (enclosing eye) and the other curving across posterior body and entering dorsal and anal fins. A black-edged orange saddle on snout. Caudal fin largely black.
This species is found on coral reefs across a wide range of depths, from shallow waters to a depth of 180 m. It is an omnivore, but its diet consists mainly of benthic animals such as sponges, rather than algae.
distinctive characters
The fish has a dorsal fin with seven spines and forty to forty-three rays, an anal fin with three spines and thirty-three to thirty-five rays, a pectoral fin with nineteen rays, a body depth of one to one-point-four times its standard length, and a compressed body. Additionally, the third dorsal spine is extremely long and filamentous, and the snout is slender and projecting.