Species: Forcipiger flavissimus, Longnose butterflyfish, the Forcepsfish
Forcipiger flavissimus Jordan & McGregor in Jordan & Evermann, 1898
Forcepsfish, Longnose butterflyfish
Body a strongly compressed oval disc, greatest body depth 1.9-2.4 in SL; mouth small, with a distinct gape (hence forceps-like), at end of a long, slender snout that is ~ 50-60% of head depth; teeth long and slender; dorsal fin with XII spines, deeply notched between the spines, 22-24; anal rays III, 17-18; tail edge straight to rounded; lateral line complete, with 74-80 scales; scales rough, covering dorsal and anal fins as well as head and body.
Bright yellow; upper half of head and nape black, white below; a black spot on anal fin just below base of caudal fin; tail fin transparent.
Size: to 22 cm.
Inhabits rock and coral reefs; feeds on hydroids, small crustaceans, tubed feet of echinoderms, pedicillaria of sea urchins, and polychaete tentacles.
Depth: 1-145 m.
East Africa to the America; the SW Gulf of California; all the oceanic islands.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
-
- Marine Only
- Marine
- Inshore/Offshore
-
- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
-
- Near Bottom
- Bottom + water column
- Bottom
- Habitat
-
- Rocks
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- Corals
- Reef only
- Water column
- FishBase Habitat
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- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
-
- Data
- Carnivore
- Diet
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- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Soft corals/hydroids
- Sessile molluscs
- Sessile crustacea
- Sea-stars/cucumbers/urchins
- Sessile worms
- Data
- Egg Type
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- Pelagic
- No data
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- TEP non-endemic
- All species
- Indo-Pacific only (Indian + Pacific Oceans)
- "Transpacific" (East + Central &/or West Pacific)
- All Pacific (West + Central + East)
- Regional Endemism
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- Island (s)
- Continent + Island (s)
- Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) non-endemic
- Eastern Pacific non-endemic
- Continent
- All species
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)
- Northern Tropical (Mexican Province to Nicaragua + Revillagigedos)
- Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)
- IUCN Red List
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- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 22
- Depth Range Min
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- 1
- Depth Range Max
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- 145
