Forcipiger flavissimus

Taxonomical systematics

Scientific name

Forcipiger flavissimus Jordan and McGregor, 1898

Common names

Yellow Longnose Butterflyfish, Long-nose Butterflyfish

Genus

Forcipiger Jordan and McGregor, 1898

Family

Chaetodontidae

Order

Perciformes

Class

Actinopterygii

Phylum

Chordata

Local ecology

Distribution

Tropical Eastern Pacific, Temperate Western Pacific, Oceania, Tropical Western Pacific, Great Barrier Reef, Northern and Western Indian Ocean, Red Sea. (Found in Sydney)

Habitat

Exposed outer slopes with caves and ledges, from 2-114m (Allen et al., 1998).

Biological characteristics

Description

Body, dorsal spines, dorsal, anal and pelvic fins bright yellow. Caudal and pectoral fins clear. Upper head black with lower head and snout silver. Snout elongated.

Maximum size

22cm TL

Wild foods

Pedicellaria and tube feet of echinoderms; tentacles of polchaetes, hydroids, crustaceans and fish eggs (Allen et al., 1998; Myers, 1991)

Yellow longnose butterflyfish F. flavissimus, at Ribbon Reef #10, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland.

Yellow longnose butterflyfish F. flavissimus, being cleaned by small cleaner wrasse, Labroides dimidiatus, at Ribbon Reef #10, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland.

Yellow longnose butterflyfish, F. flavissimus, in aquarium. (Specimen caught at Seal Rocks, NSW).

References

Allen G.R., Steene R. and Allen M. 1998. A Guide to Angelfishes & Butterflyfishes. Odyssey Publishing/Tropical Reef Research, Perth, Australia. 250pp.

Myers R. 1991. Micronesian reef fishes. Coral Graphics, Barrigada, Guam. 298pp.

Links

FishBase