Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Acanthuriformes (Surgeonfishes) > Chaetodontidae (Butterflyfishes)
Etymology: Forcipiger: Latin, forceps = instrument of the pincers kind used for seizing and holding objects, esp. In surgical and obstetric operations + latin, gero = to carry; 1634 (Ref. 45335).
More on authors: Jordan & McGregor.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; reef-associated; non-migratory; depth range 0 - 145 m (Ref. 89467). Tropical; 36°N - 32°S, 30°E - 79°W

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Indo-Pacific: Red Sea and East Africa (Ref. 12484) to the Hawaiian and Easter islands, north to southern Japan, south to Lord Howe Island; throughout Micronesia. Eastern Pacific: southern Baja California, Mexico and from the Revillagigedo and Galapagos Islands (Ref. 5227, 11482).

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 22.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 9710); max. reported age: 18 years (Ref. 72479)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 12 - 13; Dorsal soft rays (total): 19-25; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 17 - 19.

Common in exposed seaward reefs but also found in lagoon reefs (Ref. 9286). Benthopelagic (Ref. 58302). Solitary or in small groups of up to 5 individuals (Ref. 9286). Adults usually in pairs (Ref. 48636). Feed on a wide variety of animal prey including hydroids, fish eggs, small crustaceans but prefers tube feet of echinoderms, pedicilaria of sea urchins, and polychaete tentacles (Ref. 1602). Oviparous (Ref. 205), monogamous (Ref. 52884). Form pairs during breeding (Ref. 205). Second most important export in Hawaii (Ref. 37816). Minimum depth reported taken from Ref. 128797.

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Distinct pairing (Ref. 205). Monogamous mating is observed as both obligate and social (Ref. 52884).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Myers, R.F., 1991. Micronesian reef fishes. Second Ed. Coral Graphics, Barrigada, Guam. 298 p. (Ref. 1602)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 126983)

Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 09 October 2009

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: of no interest; aquarium: commercial

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource | Sea Around Us

More information

Countries
FAO areas
Ecosystems
Occurrences
Introductions
Stocks
Ecology
Diet
Food items
Food consumption
Ration

Common names
Synonyms
Metabolism
Predators
Ecotoxicology
Reproduction
Maturity
Spawning
Spawning aggregation
Fecundity
Eggs
Egg development

Age/Size
Growth
Length-weight
Length-length
Length-frequencies
Morphometrics
Morphology
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Recruitment
Abundance
BRUVS

References
Aquaculture
Aquaculture profile
Strains
Genetics
Allele frequencies
Heritability
Diseases
Processing
Nutrients
Mass conversion

Collaborators
Pictures
Stamps, Coins Misc.
Sounds
Ciguatera
Speed
Swim. type
Gill area
Otoliths
Brains
Vision

Tools

Special reports

Check for Aquarium maintenance | Check for Species Fact Sheets | Check for Aquaculture Fact Sheets

Download XML

Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 24.3 - 28.8, mean 27.5 °C (based on 710 cells).

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.6250 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.02239 (0.01097 - 0.04568), b=3.01 (2.84 - 3.18), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this Subfamily-BS (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 3.1 ±0.2 se; based on diet studies.

Resilience (Ref. 120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Low vulnerability (12 of 100).

Nutrients (Ref. 124155): Calcium = 77.3 [40.2, 116.8] mg/100g ; Iron = 0.735 [0.446, 1.180] mg/100g ; Protein = 18.5 [17.4, 19.7] % ; Omega3 = 0.129 [0.079, 0.208] g/100g ; Selenium = 44.4 [24.8, 80.8] μg/100g ; VitaminA = 44.4 [12.5, 154.3] μg/100g ; Zinc = 1.25 [0.86, 1.79] mg/100g (wet weight);

Forcipiger flavissimus Jordan & McGregor, 1898