Prognathodes aculeatus

Longsnout butterflyfish
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Perciformes
Family:	Chaetodontidae
Genus:	Prognathodes
Species:	P. aculeatus
Binomial name
Prognathodes aculeatus Poey, 1860
Synonyms
Chaetodon aculeatus Chaetodon unicolor Chelmo pelta Chelmon aculeatus

The longsnout butterflyfish, Prognathodes aculeatus, is a species of butterflyfish found in tropical atlantic waters. It is also known as the butterbun, the Caribbean longsnout butterflyfish, or Poey's butterflyfish. This species should not be confused with the banded longsnout butterflyfish or Chelmon rostratus.

Scientific name

Felipe Poey, the accepted binomial authority for the Longsnout butterflyfish

The longsnout butterflyfish was first described in 1860 by two scientists: Felipe Poey y Aloy and Albert C. L. G. Günther. Between them the fish was given three separate scientific names each one in a different genus. It was again described in 1880 by Sauvage who gave it yet another scientific name.

Description

An average of 2 to 3 inches long, the longsnout butterflyfish is commonly known for its namesake long snout that is much more distinctive than those of similar species. They also have a dusky to yellow colored stripe that runs almost vertically from the top of the head to the eyes (unlike the stripes on other butterflyfishes which extend past the eyes).

The upper half of the longsnout butterflyfish is yellow that changes to orange and again darkens to brownish-orange. The dorsal fin of the fish is usually black.

Habitat and range

Fairly common throughout its range, the longsnout butterflyfish is found on natural and artificial reefs, usually 30 to 200 ft in depth, off Florida, in the Gulf of Mexico, in the Caribbean Sea, and off the coast of Venezuela.

Behavior

Longsnout butterflyfish are much more solitary than many other members of their family. They also inhabit deeper reefs and spend much of their time foraging in recesses for invertebrates. It is also known to eat the tube feet of sea urchins and tubeworm tentacles. Unlike many other members of its family, the longsnout butterflyfish does not pick parasites from other fish.

References

• Humann, Paul and Ned Deloach, Reef Fish Identification Florida Caribbean Bahamas New World Publications Inc., Jacksonville, Fl; pp. 32-33
• Allen, G.R., R. Steene and M. Allen. 1998. (Ref. 47838)
• IUCN 2007. 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 28 September 2007.