Not furry, but we like them anyway.
Yellow Longnose Butterflyfish
Forcipiger flavissimus
Also called Forcepsfish, Forceps butterflyfish, Longnose butterflyfish
From Indo-Pacific and Eastern Pacific: East Africa and the Red Sea east to Hawaii and Easter Island, north to southern Japan, south to Lord Howe Island, and from southern Baja California to the Galapagos1
At a glance the quick version
FishBase gives a maximum reported age of 18 years
Looks how to spot one
Compressed, disc-shaped reef butterflyfish with a very long snout
A bright yellow, flattened body topped by a dark upper head and a pale lower head and chest. Its standout feature is a long, thin snout that works like needle-nose pliers for picking food out of narrow gaps.32
Personality what they are like
Peaceful toward most tankmates. In the wild pairs hold a patch of reef together and use sounds to mark their territory against neighbours of the same kind.32
Daily activity how busy a day looks
A steady, active swimmer that spends the day exploring rockwork and poking its snout into crevices for food.32
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Rated moderate care. Best in fish-only aquariums with peaceful tankmates, since it may pick at corals and small sessile invertebrates. Acclimate slowly.3
Home where they are happiest
A tank of at least 125 US gallons (about 475 L) with plenty of live rock. Saltwater at 22 to 26 °C (72 to 78 °F), pH 8.1 to 8.4, specific gravity 1.020 to 1.025. Wild fish live on exposed seaward and lagoon reefs from the surface to about 145 m.31
Food basics what goes in the bowl
A carnivore. Offer varied meaty foods such as mysis shrimp, chopped crustacean meat and frozen marine preparations. In the wild it plucks tube feet, urchin pincers, worm tentacles, small crustaceans and fish eggs.31
Company who they like around
Lives alone or in small groups of up to about five, with adults usually in pairs. Pair bonds can last seven years or more.12
The story where it all began
David Starr Jordan and Joseph McGregor described the species in 1898. It is a well-known aquarium fish and, according to FishBase, one of Hawaii's leading aquarium-trade exports.12
Fun facts for the dinner table
Recognised by the official bits
- IUCN Red List
- Least Concern (assessed 2009)1
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Yellow Longnose Butterflyfish. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- FeedingSmall amounts once or twice a dayevery day
- Temperature checkevery day
- Salinity checkevery week
- Top-upTop up evaporation with fresh RO water, not salt waterevery day
- Water testevery week
- Water changeAbout 10 to 20% of the waterevery 2 weeks
- Glass cleanevery week
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- FishBase: Forcipiger flavissimus, Forcepsfish fishbase.seused for length, distribution, depth, habitat, diet, pairing, lifespan, IUCN status, describer
- Wikipedia: Forcipiger flavissimus en.wikipedia.orgused for other names, length, pair bonds, territorial sounds, history
- LiveAquaria: Yellow Longnose Butterflyfish liveaquaria.comused for aquarium care, tank size, water parameters, temperament, diet, colours
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.