How to Identify a Longsnout Butterflyfish

Video Transcript

"The marine organism we're going to identify now is the long snout butterfly fish. The long snout butterfly fish is probably the most unusual of the butterfly fish species that one will see in the Caribbean and tropical Atlantic waters. Snorkelers will not likely see it as it is generally found in waters deeper than thirty feet down to several hundred feet. Long snout butterfly fish generally inhabit deep reefs or drop offs. And unlike most other common butterfly fish it's usually found as a solitary animal, not in a bonded pair. The long snout butterfly fish is easy to identify for its long, pointy straw like mouth. It has a body that is somewhat triangular shaped. Its coloration is white on the lower half and yellow or yellow orange shifted to black on the back. The dorsal fin is usually black. They also have a bar that can be yellow or black that runs from its back through the eye, but not below it. They are generally two to three inches long. There is a less common butterfly fish with a similar shape and coloration found in the same area. Has a long snout, called the bank butterfly fish. But it is easily distinguished from the long snout by the presence of a dark vertical bar running from its back to its belly just in front of the tail fin. Long snout butterfly fish are fairly shy fish and will quickly dart into an opening on the reef if approached by divers. They feed on small invertebrates such as zoo plankton, as well on the tube feet of sea urchins and starfish and the tentacles of tube worms. Long snout butterfly fish exist as distinct male and female animals. They form temporary pairs for breeding and breed by external fertilization. This task is accomplished when a male and female fish swim closely to one another simultaneously releasing their gametes. Fertilized eggs of the long snout butterfly fish are buoyant and drift on the surface until the fry hatch and find a new home on the reef. That's the long snout butterfly fish."