Alerts

Please be advised that our bird aviaries are open!  

Your Toronto Zoo is committed to the health and safety of the animals in our care. We take proactive steps to protect our birds from Avian Influenza which has been confirmed in a wild bird in southern Ontario, and some birds may still be off display.

Please note Splash Island is still closed and will not open until July due to unforeseen delays in construction. Please watch for updates on https://www.torontozoo.com/tz/splash or on our social media pages. Thank you!

Please note the following animals are currently not on display due to various reasons including Avian Bird Flu, and Covid-19 sensitivity:

  • Flamingo, peacock, owl, bald eagle, and aviaries
  • Some Kids Zoo Animals
  • Cougar
  • Moose
  • Kangaroo walk through (kangaroos are still visible)
  • Axolotl

We apologize for the inconvenience!
Longnose Butterflyfish
Longnose Butterflyfish
Fish

Location at the Zoo:
Australasia
Region: Australasia


Longnose butterflyfish

The longnose butterflyfish has a bright yellow body, adorned with a black eye-spot on the anal fin (close to the caudal peduncle). The body is compressed. Directly behind the pectoral fin is a lighter, white area. The snout of the long nose butterfly is quite long. It is thin, and the mouth opening is quite small. The color of its head is divided horizontally. The upper half, at the very top of the mouth through the top of the head, is black. The lower half is silvery white. The dorsal spines are long and jagged. Over the eye, you can see a disruptive black bar. These fish can reach up to 18 to 23 centimetres in length.

Conservation Status: IUCN




Distribution:

It is found in many places around the world: Indo-Pacific, Red Sea and East Africa 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.

Habitat:

Found at depths between 1 and 30 metres, in areas with abundant corals; as it picks in between coral heads with its long snout.

Diet:

These fish feed on small invertebrates, plankton, fish eggs, and various other items that they find scavenging in tiny cracks or crevices of coral reefs.

Reproduction:

They are pelagic spawners which means they gather in groups in areas where the fertilized eggs will be taken by the currents. The eggs float in the epipelagic zone (sunlit zone near the ocean surface) until the larvae hatch. The larvae live in the plankton layer up to two months. When they reach a certain size, they swim down at night to a reef and join that ecosystem. While floating around, larvae are covered in bony armor, often with serrated or saw-like spines sticking out.

Adaptation:

The long nose, which gives the longnose butterflyfish its name, aids it in the search for food.

Threats to Survival:

Pollution of water, destruction of reefs, and collection for the aquarium trade.