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.
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