Animal Species:Longnose Butterflyfish, Forcipiger longirostris (Broussonet, 1782)

The Longnose Butterflyfish has a compressed body and a very long snout. The species occurs throughout the Indo-West and Central Pacific.

Longnose Butterflyfish, Forcipiger longirostris

Longnose Butterflyfish, Forcipiger longirostris
Erik Schlögl © Erik Schlögl

Alternative Name/s

Big Longnosed Butterflyfish, Long-bill Pipe-snouted Butterfly Fish, Very-long-nose Butterflyfish

Identification

The Longnose Butterflyfish has a compressed body and a very long snout. It resembles the Forcepsfish, F. flavissimus, but can be distinguished by its longer snout, smaller mouth gape, number of dorsal fin spines (10-11 vs. 12-13 in the Forcepsfish) and by rows of small black spots on the breast. These spots are unusually pale in the fish in the image.

Size range

The species grows to 22 cm in length.

Distribution

The species occurs throughout the Indo-West and Central Pacific. In Australia it is known from off north-western Western Australia and from the northern Great Barrier Reef.

The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums. Click on the map for detailed information.  Source: Atlas of Living Australia.

Forcipiger+longirostris

Distribution by collection data

Ozcam map of Longnose Butterflyfish specimens in the Australian Museum.

What does this mean?

Habitat

The Longnose Butterflyfish is found on coral reefs.

Classification

Species:
longirostris
Genus:
Forcipiger
Family:
Chaetodontidae
Order:
Perciformes
Class:
Actinopterygii
Subphylum:
Vertebrata
Phylum:
Chordata
Kingdom:
Animalia

What does this mean?

References

  1. Allen, G.R., Steene, R. & M. Allen. 1998. A Guide to Angelfishes & Butterflyfishes. Odyssey Publishing/Tropical Reef Research. Pp. 250.
  2. Hoese, D.F., Bray, D.J., Paxton, J.R. & G.R. Allen. 2006. Fishes. In Beesley, P.L. & A. Wells. (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Volume 35. ABRS & CSIRO Publishing: Australia. parts 1-3, pages 1-2178.
  3. Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
  4. Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.


Mark McGrouther , Collection Manager, Ichthyology
Last Updated:

Tags Fishes, Ichthyology, Longnose Butterflyfish, Forcipiger longirostris, Chaetodontidae, yellow, black, white, 'normal fish', 10 cm - 30 cm, no pattern, coral reef, marine, adult, black face, long snout, transparent fin, black spot,