Yellow Longnose Butterflyfish
Yellow Longnose Butterflyfish 
(Forcipiger flavissimus)
QUICK STATS
Minimum Tank Size: 70 gallons
Care Level: Moderate
Temperament: Peaceful
Reef Compatible: With Caution
Water Conditions: 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, sg 1.020-1.025
Max. Size: 9"
Color Form: Black, White, Yellow
Diet: Carnivore
Origin: Hawaii, Indonesia, Maldives, Melanesia
Family: Chaetodontidae
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. Longnose Butterflyfish mate for life, like most butterflyfish. It does best if kept in a 70 gallon or larger tank with peaceful tankmates.
It should be fed a varied diet of meaty foods mysis shrimp, crustacean meat, and frozen preparations.