Forcepsfish, Forcipiger flavissimus

Forcepsfish, Forcipiger flavissimus. Fish caught from within the marina of Kailusa-Kona, Hawaii, February 2016. Length: 18 cm (7.0 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Kenneth Tse, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Forcepsfish, Forcipiger flavissimus. Underwater photographs taken in coastal waters of Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, October 2019. Photographs courtesy of Bob Hillis, Ivins, Utah.

The Forcepsfish, Forcipiger flavissimus, is a member of the Butterflyfish or Chaetodontidae Family, that is also known as the Big Long-nosed Butterflyfish, the Longnose Butterfly and the Yellow Longnose Butterflyfish in Mexico as mariposa hocicona. There are two species in the genus Forcipiger, with this species being the only one found in the Mexican waters and it in the Pacific Ocean.

The Forcepsfish has a strongly compressed oval body that is characterized by a very long snout and an operculum with a curved margin. Their head is black above and silvery-white below. The body is bright yellow and there is a black spot on the anal fin close to the caudal peduncle. They have a small mouth with a distinct gape that is equipped long slender teeth. Their anal fin has 3 spines and 17 to 19 rays; their caudal fin is straight or rounded; and their first dorsal fin has 12 or 13 spines and their second dorsal fin has 19 to 25 rays. Their body is covered with large rough scales. The lateral line is complete.

The Forcepsfish is normally found in pairs or as solitary individuals or in small groups coral and temperate reefs at depths up to 145 m (476 feet). They reach a maximum of 22.0 cm (8.7 inches) in length. They normally occur in pairs but can be found also as solitary individuals and in small schools. They are highly territorial and utilize sound to establish their territories. They feed on a wide variety of animal prey including small crustaceans, echionoderms, fish eggs and hydorids, polychaete and sea urchins. Reproduction is oviparious with monogamous pairing with the release of free-floating pelagic eggs. They have life spans of up to eighteen years. The Forcepsfish is poorly studied with very limited information available about their lifestyle and behavioral patterns including specific details on age, growth, longevity, movement patterns, diet, habitat use, and reproduction.

The Forcepsfish has a wide global population and is a resident of Mexican waters of the Pacific and is known around the oceanic islands and along the southeast coast from La Paz to Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. They are exceedingly rare and seldom seen by humans.

Due to the unique markings and the long snout the Forcepsfish is not easily confused with any other species.

From a conservation perspective the Forcepsfish is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable widely distributed populations. The Focepsfish is sold commercially by the aquarium trade and are also of interest to divers.