Species: Prognathodes aya, Bank butterflyfish
Prognathodes aya (Jordan, 1886)
Bank butterflyfish
Body a strongly compressed oval disc; mouth small, at end of a moderately long, pointed snout; cheek bone free and smooth; teeth long and slender, brush-like, in bands on jaws; dorsal fin XIII 18-19, fin triangular, with front spines longest, membranes between anterior dorsal spines deeply incised; anal rays III, 15, 2nd anal spine longer than 3rd; pectoral rays 13; rear edges of dorsal and anal fins vertical; tail edge straight to rounded; scales rough, covering head and body, a low scaly sheath on base of dorsal fin; lateral line in a high arch, incomplete (ends under dorsal fin), with 37-40 scales; with a large "axillary process" scale at the upper base of the pelvic fins.
White, sometimes tinged with yellow; a white-bordered black bar angled back from middle of spinous dorsal to end of soft anal; black bar angled forward from front of dorsal fin through eye; rest of dorsal fin yellow and white.
Size: grows to 17 cm.
Habitat: on rocky and coral reefs.
Depth range: 20-200 m.
N Carolina to the Gulf of Mexico.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
-
- Marine Only
- Marine
- Inshore/Offshore
-
- Inshore Only
- Inshore
- Water Column Position
-
- Bottom
- Habitat
-
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Reef and soft bottom
- Rocks
- Corals
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- FishBase Habitat
-
- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
-
- Data
- Carnivore
- Diet
-
- Data
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Sea-stars/cucumbers/urchins
- Sessile worms
- Egg Type
-
- Data
- Pelagic
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
-
- Greater Caribbean endemic
- West Atlantic Endemic
- All species.
- Regional Endemism
-
- Extends North of GC
- GC endemic
- Continent only
- Continent
- All species..
- Residency
-
- Resident
- Climate Zone
-
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- IUCN Red List
-
- Listed
- Least concern
- CITES
-
- Not listed
- Length Max
-
- 17
- Depth Range Min
-
- 20
- Depth Range Max
-
- 200
