The bank butterflyfish (''Prognathodes aya'') is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of marine

ray-finned fish Actinopterygii (; ), members of which are known as ray-finned fishes, is a class of bony fish. They comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species. The ray-finned fishes are so called because their fins are webs of skin supported by bony or hor ...

, a

butterflyfish The butterflyfish are a group of conspicuous tropical marine fish of the family Chaetodontidae; the bannerfish and coralfish are also included in this group. The approximately 129 species in 12 genera are found mostly on the reefs of the Atlant ...

belonging to the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Chaetodontidae. It is found in tropical and sub-tropical

water Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as a ...

s of the western Atlantic Ocean.

Description

The Bank butterflyfish is

silvery Silvery are a London-based 4-piece indie rock band, signed to Blow Up Records (the label of the Britpop night club Blow Up). Their sound was described by journalist David Quantick in The Word as "Splenetic, frenetic, kinetic" and in NME as " ...

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

to tan in color, with

yellow Yellow is the color between green and orange on the spectrum of light. It is evoked by light with a dominant wavelength of roughly 575585 nm. It is a primary color in subtractive color systems, used in painting or color printing. In the R ...

on all fins except the pectoral fins.*Humann, P. Deloach, N. 2002. ReefFish Identification: Florida- Caribbean- Bahamas. New World Publications Inc., Jacksonville, Fl. Third Edition.Kells, V. Carpenter, K. 2011. A Field Guide to Coastal Fishes from Maine to Texas. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. It also has two sub-vertical dark, brownish, bars: the first on its eyes, following the profile of the face and snout; the second begins at the back of the

dorsal fin A dorsal fin is a fin located on the back of most marine and freshwater vertebrates within various taxa of the animal kingdom. Many species of animals possessing dorsal fins are not particularly closely related to each other, though through conv ...

and extends downward near the tail but does not appear on the

caudal fin Fins are distinctive anatomical features composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body of a fish. They are covered with skin and joined together either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or similar to a flipper, as se ...

. There is also a yellow band located behind the second dark bar that extends from the fifth

spine Spine or spinal may refer to: Science Biology * Vertebral column, also known as the backbone * Dendritic spine, a small membranous protrusion from a neuron's dendrite * Thorns, spines, and prickles, needle-like structures in plants * Spine (zoolog ...

of the dorsal fin, down to the back of the anal fin.

Habitat and range

The Bank butterflyfish is uncommon throughout its range. It is found on

natural Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. Although humans are p ...

and

artificial reef An artificial reef is a human-created underwater structure, typically built to promote marine life in areas with a generally featureless bottom, to control erosion, block ship passage, block the use of trawling nets, or improve surfing. Many re ...

s in

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...

, and off the Yucatán Peninsula. It is also found as far north as

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

, though it only rarely appears that far north.

Relationship with humans

In regard to conservation, the Bank butterflyfish is not known to be threatened in any way and is listed as Least Concern by the

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

. Though it is harvested for use in salt water aquaria, this commercial use does not appear to negatively impact the global population of the species. The Bank butterflyfish is also not protected by name in any specific legislation, though it is known to inhabit a number of protected areas. When observed by

scuba divers This is a list of underwater divers whose exploits have made them notable. Underwater divers are people who take part in underwater diving activities – Underwater diving is practiced as part of an occupation, or for recreation, where t ...

this fish is generally regarded as shy, and it is known to dart into the shelter of reefs upon approach. Once properly sheltered, however, some fish will remain at the entrance to whatever crevice they are using, apparently to watch divers.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4855915 Prognathodes Taxa named by David Starr Jordan Fish described in 1886 Fish of the Atlantic Ocean