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
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore Only
- Inshore
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Reef and soft bottom
- Rocks
- Corals
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- FishBase Habitat
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- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Data
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Sea-stars/cucumbers/urchins
- Sessile worms
- Egg Type
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- Pelagic larva
- Data
- Pelagic
- Global Endemism
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- All species
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Greater Caribbean endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Continent only
- GC endemic
- Continent
- Extends North of GC
- All species
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- IUCN Red List
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- Listed
- Least concern
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 17
- Depth Range Min
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- 20
- Depth Range Max
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- 200
