Description:

Dorsal spines: 12-13; Dorsal rays: 19-25; Anal spines: 3; Anal rays: 17-19.
A long-snouted butterflyfish with yellow body and fins. Upper head and snout black. Lower head and chest white. Black spot on the upper posterior corner of anal fin. 
The eye is equidistant between the snout tip and the pectoral-fin base.
 

Maturity: Unknown. Max length : 22.0 cm TL.

Typically inhabits seaward reefs, but also found in lagoon reefs, usually in areas with rich invertebrate growth (depth 2-145 m). Adults usually occur in pairs. 
Feeds on a wide variety of prey including hydroids, fish eggs, and small crustaceans, but prefers tube feet of echinoderms, pedicilaria of sea urchins, and 
polychaete tentacles. Oviparous, form pairs during breeding.
 

This species is not protected. It may be subject to trap and net fishing but is typicaaly released if caught.
 

The similar Longnose Butterflyfish, Forcipiger longirostris, has a longer snout with the eye much closer to the pectoral-fin base than the tip of the snout,
and usually rows of small black dots on the chest.

Photo (c) 2021 courtesy GVI/SPGA .
Photo. courtesy Eleanor Brighton and Chris Mason-Parker (c) 2022 Blue Safari Seychelles/Marine Conservation Society, Seychelles. Photograph taken at Alphonse group 2022.
 

Bray, D.J. (2020). Forcipiger flavissimus in Fishes of Australia, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/2410 (15/05/22). 
Froese, R. & D. Pauly. Eds. (2022). FishBase. https://www.fishbase.se/summary/forcipiger-flavissimus (13/05/22). 
Myers, R. & Pratchett, M. (2010). Forcipiger flavissimus. The IUCN Red List 2010: https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T165716A6099950.en. (13/05/22).
Smith, M. & Heemstra, P. (Eds.) (1999). Smiths’ Sea Fishes Edition 6. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 10.1007/978-3-642-82858-4
 

Nevill, J.E.G. (2022). Forcipiger flavissimus, Longnose butterfly fish. Seychelles Seatizens. www.seatizens.sc. https://seatizens.sc/species/forcipiger-flavissimus-jordan-mcgregor-1898/  (edited 18/07/22).