Forcipiger flavissimus Jordan & McGregor, 1898
Family: Chaetodontidae (Butterflyfishes) picture (Fofla_ud.jpg) by Patzner, R.
Order: Perciformes (perch-likes)
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
FishBase name: Longnose butterfly fish
Max. size:22.0 cm TL (male/unsexed; Ref. 9710); max. reported age: 18 years
Climate tropical; 32°N – 32°S
Importance fisheries: of no interest; aquarium: commercial; price category: not marketed/unknown
Environment: reef-associated; non-migratory; marine; depth range 1 – 114 m
Resilience: High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months(Preliminary K or Fecundity.)
Vulnerability: Low vulnerability (11.30), based on Lmax and K (Ref. 59153)
Distribution:
Gazetteer Indo-Pacific: Red Sea and East Africa (Ref. 12484) to the Hawaiian and Easter islands, north to southern Japan, south to Lord Howe Island; throughout Micronesia. Eastern Pacific: southern Baja California, Mexico and from the Revillagigedo and Galapagos Islands (Ref. 5227, 11482).
Morphology: Dorsal spines (total): 12 – 13; Dorsal soft rays (total): 19 – 25; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 17 – 19. F. flavissimus has relatively shorter snout with a larger mouth, higher dorsal spine count, and absence of dark-centered scales on the thorax than F. longirostris.
Biology: Common in exposed seaward reefs but also found in lagoon reefs (Ref. 9286). Engybenthic (Ref. 58302). Solitary or in small groups of up to 5 individuals (Ref. 9286). Adults usually in pairs (Ref. 48636). Feed on a wide variety of animal prey including hydroids, fish eggs, small crustaceans but prefers tube feet of echinoderms, pedicilaria of sea urchins, and polychaete tentacles (Ref. 1602). Oviparous (Ref. 205), monogamous (Ref. 52884). Form pairs during breeding (Ref. 205). Second most important export in Hawaii (Ref. 37816).
Red List Status: Not Evaluated (Ref. 57073)
Dangerous: harmless