 The larvae are pelagic, and return to the reef habitat about seven weeks later.The juveniles form mixed species groups with other fish species; at first they may be black, or yellow with a black eye ring, but later they resemble the adult fish, apart from the black markings behind the eye, which at one stage in juvenile development is horseshoe-shaped.This fish feeds in the open during the day, often in small groups with parrotfish and other species.