Marine Life

Long-nosed butterflyfish

Thundhigu bibee

Forcipiger longirostris

It can be difficult to tell Forcipiger longirostris from the related F. flavissimus unless dead specimens are available; however, there is one fairly simple field method: the distance from the tip of the snout to the back of the black mask in F. longirostris is equal to or longer than the length of the yellow part of the body, whereas in F. flavissimus it is noticeably shorter.

Details

§ 01

size: Max. 22 cm
color: Bright yellow. Black spot on anal fin below tail. Head black above and white below. Black dots on white area in front of pectoral fin. This species also has a dark brown colour phase.
order: Perciformes
family: Chaetodontidae
image url: https://assets.explore.mv/fishes/forcipiger-longirostris.png
habitat and biology: This species is typically located on the outer edges of coral reefs, reaching depths of up to 30 meters. It can be seen alone or in small groups, and feeds on hydroids, crustaceans, polychaetes, and other types of worms.
distinctive characters: The dorsal fin of this species has 11 spines and 24-28 rays, the anal fin has 3 spines and 17-20 rays, and the pectoral fin has 14 or 15 rays. Its body depth is 1.9-2.5 times its standard length, and its snout is extremely long, even longer than that of F. flavissimus. It also has a small gape in its mouth.