Longnose Butterflyfish care guide
Longnose Butterflyfish (Forcipiger flavissimus) — minimum tank 300 L, temperature 24-27 °C, pH 8.1-8.4.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
The Yellow Longnose Butterflyfish (Forcipiger flavissimus) reaches about 22 cm and is one of the more widely distributed of all reef fishes. The body is bright yellow with a black triangular forehead and pure white lower face, and a long, slender tubular snout used for picking food from coral crevices.
Taxonomy
- Family: Chaetodontidae
- Genus: Forcipiger
- Scientific name: Forcipiger flavissimus
- Common synonyms: Forceps Butterflyfish
Habitat
Distributed across the tropical Indo-Pacific and into the Eastern Pacific from Mexico to Ecuador — one of the broadest ranges of any reef fish. The species inhabits coral-rich outer reefs and reef passes from 2 to 145 m depth.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 300 L (79.3 US gal)
- Adult size: 18-22 cm
- Temperature: 24-27 °C (75-81 °F)
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- GH: 8-12 °dGH
- Water flow: moderate
- Lifespan: 5-10 years
- Salinity: SG 1.024-1.026
- Carbonate hardness (dKH): 8-12
Diet
An invertebrate-feeding omnivore that picks at tube-feet of small worms, crustaceans and especially the appendages of long-spined sea urchins. In aquaria it is usually one of the more readily adapting butterflyfish, accepting mysis, enriched brine shrimp, krill and chopped mussel within days.
Compatibility
Peaceful for a butterfly; pairs or single specimens can be kept and may also be combined with the similar but more demanding F. longirostris. Compatible with peaceful marine community fish — tangs, smaller angels, gobies, cardinals and clownfish.
Reef compatibility
Reef-safe with caution. The species generally ignores stony corals but may nip feather-duster worms, soft coral polyps, anemone tentacles and sometimes tubeworm crowns. One of the most reef-tolerant Chaetodontidae but not entirely risk-free.
Breeding
A pelagic broadcast spawner forming temporary pairs. Captive breeding has not been achieved at a commercial scale.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern. The exceptionally wide geographic range and pelagic larval phase support a stable global population.
Longnose Butterflyfish (Forcipiger flavissimus) Breeding Guide
Overview
Forcipiger flavissimus is a butterflyfish (family Chaetodontidae) widespread across the Indo-Pacific from East Africa and the Red Sea to the Hawaiian and Easter islands and into the eastern Pacific, reaching about 22 cm (FishBase, Wikipedia). It is oviparous and forms monogamous breeding pairs, with documented pair fidelity of seven or more years (FishBase, Wikipedia). It lays pelagic, freely floating eggs, and as a butterflyfish it is not bred in home aquariums.
Sexing
External sexual dimorphism is not documented; pairs form during breeding, with females defending food resources from other females and males defending territories containing females (Wikipedia). Reliable visual sexing is not described.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
The species forms monogamous pairs and lays pelagic, freely floating eggs that drift in the plankton (Wikipedia). Butterflyfish are pelagic spawners that release many buoyant eggs into the water column to float with the currents until hatching (Wikipedia). This open-water egg release cannot be reproduced or captured in an aquarium.
Egg & Fry Care
Butterflyfish larvae pass through the tholichthys stage, in which the post-larval body is covered in large bony plates that are shed as the fish matures (Wikipedia). The long planktonic larval period and minute first-stage larvae make these fish among the most difficult marine species to rear, and no home protocol exists for this species.
Common Challenges
Broadcast pelagic eggs, a prolonged drifting larval period, and the tholichthys stage put breeding Forcipiger flavissimus beyond home aquaria. A bonded pair can be maintained, but reproduction to settlement is not achievable at home.