Yellow Longnose Butterfly Fish

Being territorial, yellow longnose butterflyfish patrol their patches of coral with a monogamous partner. However, instances of overt aggression among F. flavissimus have been observed between territory holders and individuals of the same sex. Chasing is rare, but when it does occur, males chase males and females chase females. Females defend food resources from other females, while males defend territories containing a female from other males.Territoriality is a favorable strategy for a species to adopt primarily when resources are temporally stable, predictable, and evenly distributed throughout a territory. Territoriality is commonly displayed by benthic-feeding longnose butterflyfish, therefore, because their main dietary resources fulfill these characteristics.Their monogamous pairing appears to be closely linked to their territorial behavior. Although several could cause a species to evolve monogamous behavior, the necessity for biparental care does not apply to longnose butterflyfish because they lay pelagic, or freely floating, eggs.