ZANCLIDAE

Moorish Idol
By Seishi Kimura




Zanclus cornutus

Small sized marine fishes; maximum size 23 cm. Body strongly deep and compressed, its depth 1-1.4 in SL. Snout narrow, strongly protruding. Mouth small, teeth slender, bristlelike, uniserial. Adults with a sharp bony supraocular projection. No spine or plate on caudal peduncle. Dorsal fin continuous with VI or VII spines; anal fin with III spines; pelvic fin with I spine and 5 soft rays.

Similar families occurring in the area. Chaetodotidae: snout not strongly protruding; no sharp bony supraocular projection. Siganidae: dorsal fin with XIII spines, anal fin with VII spines, and pelvic fin with II spines and 3 soft rays between spines. Acanthuridae: one or more spines or keeled plate laterally on caudal peduncle.

Remarks. One species, Zanclus cornutus