Big longnose butterflyfish

Care at a glance

Overview

Give it a 380 litre or larger tank at 23 to 27 C and pH 8.1 to 8.4 with mature rock full of small life to pick at. It is reef safe with caution, since it targets small crustaceans and may nip feather dusters or clam mantles, but it is more coral tolerant than most butterflyfish. Feed small meaty foods often, cut fine enough for its tiny mouth. Keep only one unless you have a bonded pair, as it fights others of its kind.

In the wild

The big longnose butterflyfish has a long tube snout and a yellow body with a black face. It uses its snout to reach into crevices and pluck tiny crustaceans that other fish cannot get. It cruises seaward reef slopes, usually alone or in a pair. A rare all black color form of this species is highly prized by collectors.

Good to know

Forcipiger longirostris is a butterflyfish in the family Chaetodontidae with one of the longest snouts of any reef fish relative to its body. Its snout is even longer than that of the similar yellow longnose butterflyfish. It feeds largely on small crustaceans, including tube feet of urchins and tiny shrimp hidden in the reef.

Common questions

Related species

• 

  Yellow longnose butterflyfish

  Forcipiger flavissimus

  8.7 in (22 cm) · 106 gal (400 L)

  8.7 in (22 cm)106 gal (400 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Golden butterflyfish

  Chaetodon semilarvatus

  9.1 in (23 cm) · 151 gal (570 L)

  9.1 in (23 cm)151 gal (570 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)

• 

  Schooling bannerfish

  Heniochus diphreutes

  8.3 in (21 cm) · 124 gal (470 L)

  8.3 in (21 cm)124 gal (470 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Copperband butterflyfish

  Chelmon rostratus

  7.9 in (20 cm) · 79 gal (300 L)

  7.9 in (20 cm)79 gal (300 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Longfin bannerfish

  Heniochus acuminatus

  9.8 in (25 cm) · 127 gal (480 L)

  9.8 in (25 cm)127 gal (480 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Black pyramid butterflyfish

  Hemitaurichthys zoster

  7.1 in (18 cm) · 106 gal (400 L)

  7.1 in (18 cm)106 gal (400 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)