The Yellow Longnose Butterflyfish, or Forceps Fish, can be
found singly or in schools on reef flats and slopes of the
Indo-Pacific region. It has a long snout that resembles a
pair of needle nose pliers, for picking food out of
crevices and between coral heads. The Longnose
Butterflyfish has a yellow body. The color of its head is
divided horizontally. The upper half of the head, at the
very top of the mouth through the top of the head is black.
The lower half is white. The dorsal spines are long and
jagged. It is a fairly large Butterflyfish in the wild, but
remains a medium-sized fish in the home aquarium.
This is a good first butterfly purchase, though not
necessarily for a beginning hobbyist. If acclimated
properly, Longnose Butterflyfish are a hardy addition to
any fish-only system. It does best if kept in a 125
gallon or larger tank with peaceful tankmates. Use
caution if housing this species in a reef aquarium, it
may nip at corals and sessile invertebrates.
It should be fed a varied diet of meaty foods mysis
shrimp, crustacean meat, and frozen preparations.
