Long nose Butterfly

[MrCote]

I would like to buy a nice show fish for my reef tank and I like the long nose butterfly. I know there are two kinds and I dont know which is reef safe and how to tell the difference. There is the Forcipiger flavissimus and the Forcipiger longirostris. Does anybody know which one is reef safe and how to tell the difference?

Thanks
Tom

 

[jayman10134]

Forcipiger longirostris is the reef safe one. After looking at pictures online i think the one at the store is the Forcipiger longirostris.

 

[Technorch]

I heard that the only real way to tell the difference is having both in front of you and still, it's a bit hard to tell that way.

This website says: "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."

http://www.fishbase.org/summary/speciessummary.php?id=5584

I've also wanted to get me one of these but the fear of getting the wrong one keeps me away from them...

 

[jayman10134]

The reef safe one has a different shaped tail, with a mini trailing fin on top. Also, on the throat of the reef safe one it has little blackish dots.

 

[MrCote]

Jay do you guys have the butterfly still at krystal clear?

 

[jayman10134]

I have no idea. Haven't been there since Sunday. We did get another shipment in Tuesday. I can check on Saturday and give you a heads up if we have the reef safe one in.

 

[MrCote]

alright thanks