Longnose Butterflyfish Identification Guide
Learn to recognize this reef fish by its tweezer-like snout, disc-shaped yellow body, and dark head mask.
Read the full Longnose Butterflyfish encyclopedia entry →
Key identification features
- Extremely elongated, tube-like snout ending in a tiny mouth, used to pick invertebrates from crevices
- Laterally compressed, disc-shaped body in bright lemon yellow
- Dark brown to black mask covering the upper head and eye, bordered below by a pale band
- A small black spot rimmed in blue near the rear dorsal fin base or upper tail region
- Fine black margin along the dorsal and anal fins; adults reach about 18-22 cm
Common look-alikes
- Big longnose butterflyfish (Forcipiger longirostris): snout is proportionally longer and thinner, and the dark head patch is reduced compared to the more extensive black mask of the common longnose
- Copperband butterflyfish: also has a tubular snout, but the body is white with bold copper-orange bars and a false eyespot near the tail, not solid yellow
- Forceps fish confused with other yellow tangs: tangs have a stouter, less compressed body and lack the tweezer snout entirely
Where you'll see one
Found on coral-rich reef flats, lagoons, and outer reef slopes throughout the Indo-Pacific, usually solitary or in pairs, picking tube feet and small invertebrates from tight reef crevices.
Frequently asked questions
How do I tell a longnose butterflyfish from a copperband butterflyfish?
Both have long tubular snouts, but the longnose is solid bright yellow with a dark head mask, while the copperband is white with bold orange-copper bars and a false eyespot near the tail.
How can I separate the two Forcipiger species?
Look at snout length and head markings: Forcipiger longirostris has a noticeably longer, thinner snout and less black on the head than the more common Forcipiger flavissimus.
Longnose Butterflyfish identified by the community
Recent Longnose Butterflyfish catches identified with Fish Identifier.
