Description: The Magnificent foxface is half dark brown to black (mostly the upper portion) and white. The white face has a distinctive bold black band running from the tip of the mouth to the top of the head. The dorsal fins are tinged red, while the other fins are tinged yellow. Both the dorsal and pectoral fins have venomous spines.
Size: The Magnificent foxface grows to nine inches (22 cm) in length.
Behavior: Venomous dorsal spines and the ability to change color rapidly, help defend them from predators. These diurnal fish are often found in pairs.
Diet: Magnificent foxface feeds mainly on algae and occasionally on small invertebrates.
Reproduction: Spawning is believed to be linked to the moon cycle, usually around the time of the new moon. Females release their eggs and males release their sperm into the open water where external fertilization takes place. The fertilized eggs attach themselves to the sea floor before hatching and then drift in the sea in the larval stage.
They remain in this stage for about one to two months before settling into their habitat and changing into the juvenile form.
Habitat/range: Magnificent foxface fish are found among branching corals on sheltered reefs in the Eastern Indian Ocean.
Status: Listed as Least Concern on IUCN Red List.
