Longsnout Butterflyfish
Chaetodon aculeatus

f8 @ 1/60s, Ektachrome 64 slide film, ASA 64, Nikon F3 in Oceanic housing, 105mm micro, Oceanic flash, Ikelite slave flash

\"Longsnout Butterflyfih,\" Wikipedia the free encyclopedia. The longsnout butterflyfish, Chaetodon aculeatus, is a species of butterflyfish found in tropical atlantic waters. 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). 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.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 tube worm tentacles. Unlike many other members of its family, the longsnout butterflyfish does not pick parasites from other fish.

Salt River Canyon, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

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