Longnose butterflyfish (Forcipiger flavissimus)
Key facts
- Scientific name
- Forcipiger flavissimus
- Common name
- Longnose butterflyfish
- Category
- Fish
- Family
- Chaetodontidae
- Genus
- Forcipiger
- Size
- 15–22 cm
- Depth
- 2–145 m
- IUCN status
- Least concern (LC)
- Danger level
- Harmless
- Habitats
- coral-reef, cave
- Behaviours
- solitary, pair
- Ocean zones
- Asian Pacific, Indian Ocean & Red Sea, Eastern Pacific
Description
Forcipiger flavissimus reaches 22 cm. Bright yellow body with black forebody (dorsal) crossing through eye and snout edge. Very narrow pointed long tubular snout (forceps) used to extract small invertebrates from crevices and coral holes. Distinctive dark spot below tail. Lives from 2 to 145 m on coral and rocky reefs of entire Indo-Pacific including eastern Pacific. Solitary or in pair. Iconic macro photo subject for its unusual anatomy.
Photo of Longnose butterflyfish
Frequently asked questions
- How big is the Longnose butterflyfish?
- Longnose butterflyfish (Forcipiger flavissimus) reaches 15–22 cm in length.
- At what depth can you find the Longnose butterflyfish?
- Longnose butterflyfish is found between 2–145 m deep.
- Is the Longnose butterflyfish dangerous to divers?
- Danger level: Harmless.
- What is the conservation status of the Longnose butterflyfish?
- IUCN status: Least concern (LC).
- Where can you find the Longnose butterflyfish?
- Found in: Asian Pacific, Indian Ocean & Red Sea, Eastern Pacific.
Other species in the genus Forcipiger
Other species in the family Chaetodontidae
- Chaetodon sedentarius - Reef butterflyfish
- Chaetodon ocellatus - Spotfin butterflyfish
- Chaetodon fasciatus - Diagonal butterflyfish
- Chaetodon semilarvatus - Bluecheek butterflyfish
- Johnrandallia nigrirostris - Barberfish
- Chaetodon humeralis - Threebanded butterflyfish
Sources
- Taxonomy: WoRMS (AphiaID 218760)
- Photos: iNaturalist (CC BY-NC)
- Distribution: GBIF (taxonKey 2385706)
- Conservation: IUCN Red List
- Encyclopedia: Wikipedia