longnose

Longnose is a descriptive term used to refer to organisms or objects with an elongated nasal snout. In biology, it appears in common names for several species noted for their extended rostrum.

Notable examples include the longnose gar (Lepisosteus osseus), a large, elongated freshwater fish native to North America. Gars belong to the family Lepisosteidae and are characterized by cylindrical bodies, a long, tooth-filled snout, and a predatory lifestyle. They inhabit rivers, lakes, and wetlands and use their snout to detect prey.

Another example is the longnose dace (Rhinichthys cataractae), a small freshwater fish found in cold streams of North America. It has a slender body and a relatively long snout compared to related minnows, assisting in probing substrates for invertebrates.

Beyond fish, the term longnose appears in other common names for forms with extended snouts, and the term is sometimes used descriptively in human anatomy or culture to describe individuals or fictional characters with notably prominent noses.

In modern usage, the term is not a formal taxonomic category but rather a descriptive label or common name that may vary regionally and over time.