Forcipiger wanai

Forcipiger wanai, commonly known as the Cenderawasih butterflyfish, is a medium-sized butterflyfish with an extremely long nose/mouth. Their body colour ranges from bright yellow just behind the head to brownish, to orange in the anal and dorsal fin. In the anal fin is a black spot present. The upper half of their face is black and the lower half greyish-white with off course the very characteristic long beak.

These fish are quite peaceful to most other fish. They live solitary, in paris or in a small group in a wide variety of habitats, from clearwater reefs to deep passages. In an aquarium they can best be kept alone unless a proven pair can be found. They're real omnivores feeding on things like worms, eggs, hydroids and small crustaceans but seem to prefer tube feet of echinoderms, the small 'hairs' of sea urchins and tentacles/feathers of tube worms. Like Chelmon, they're well known Aiptasia eaters (although some individuals might refuse to eat them). Feed them a varied diet of small meaty live and frozen food and watch out combining them with sea urchins, sea stars and tube worms!