Acanthuridae

Encyclopedia : A : AC : ACA : Acanthuridae

---

Acanthuridae ("thorn tail") is the family of surgeonfishes, tangs, and unicornfishes. The family includes about 80 species in six genera, all of which are marine fish living in tropical seas, usually around coral reefs. Many of the species are brightly colored and extremely popular for aquaria.

The distinctive characteristic of the family is a pair of spines, one on either side of the tail, and sharp enough to cause injury to the unwary. Both the dorsal and anal fins are large, extending for most of the length of the body. The small mouths have a single row of teeth used for grazing on algae.

Most species are small, ranging up to 30 cm, but the whitemargin unicornfish Naso annulatus can reach a meter in length. These fish can grow quickly in aquariums so it is advisable to check the average growth size and suitability before adding to a marine aquarium.

Species

• Genus Acanthurus
• * Achilles tang, Acanthurus achilles Shaw, 1803.

Achilles tang, Acanthurus achilles

• * Whitefin surgeonfish, Acanthurus albipectoralis Allen & Ayling, 1987.
• * Orange-socket surgeonfish, Acanthurus auranticavus Randall, 1956.
• * Ocean surgeon, Acanthurus bahianus Castelnau, 1855.
• * Black-spot surgeonfish, Acanthurus bariene Lesson, 1831.
• * Ringtail surgeonfish, Acanthurus blochii Valenciennes, 1835.
• * Doctorfish, Acanthurus chirurgus (Bloch, 1787).
• * Chronixis surgeonfish, Acanthurus chronixis Randall, 1960.
• * Blue tang surgeonfish, Acanthurus coeruleus Bloch & Schneider, 1801.
• * Eyestripe surgeonfish, Acanthurus dussumieri Valenciennes, 1835.

Eyestripe surgeonfish, Acanthurus dussumieri

• * Fowler's surgeonfish, Acanthurus fowleri de Beaufort, 1951.
• * Black surgeonfish, Acanthurus gahhm (Forsskål, 1775).
• * Finelined surgeonfish, Acanthurus grammoptilus Richardson, 1843.
• * Whitespotted surgeonfish, Acanthurus guttatus Forster, 1801.
• * Japan surgeonfish, Acanthurus japonicus (Schmidt, 1931).
• * Palelipped surgeonfish, Acanthurus leucocheilus Herre, 1927.
• * Whitebar surgeonfish, Acanthurus leucopareius (Jenkins, 1903).
• * Powderblue surgeonfish, Acanthurus leucosternon Bennett, 1833.

• * Lined surgeonfish, Acanthurus lineatus (Linnaeus, 1758).
• * White-freckled surgeonfish, Acanthurus maculiceps (Ahl, 1923).
• * Elongate surgeonfish, Acanthurus mata (Cuvier, 1829).
• * Monrovia doctorfish, Acanthurus monroviae Steindachner, 1876.
• * Whitecheek surgeonfish, Acanthurus nigricans (Linnaeus, 1758).
• * Epaulette surgeonfish, Acanthurus nigricauda Duncker & Mohr, 1929.
• * Brown surgeonfish, Acanthurus nigrofuscus (Forsskål, 1775).
• * Bluelined surgeonfish, Acanthurus nigroris Valenciennes, 1835.
• * Bluelined surgeon, Acanthurus nubilus (Fowler & Bean, 1929).
• * Orangespot surgeonfish, Acanthurus olivaceus Bloch & Schneider, 1801.
• * Black-barred surgeonfish, Acanthurus polyzona (Bleeker, 1868).
• * Chocolate surgeonfish, Acanthurus pyroferus Kittlitz, 1834.
• * Gulf surgeonfish, Acanthurus randalli Briggs & Caldwell, 1957.
• * Acanthurus reversus Randall & Earle, 1999.
• * Sohal surgeonfish, Acanthurus sohal (Forsskål, 1775).
• * Doubleband surgeonfish, Acanthurus tennentii Günther, 1861.

Doubleband surgeonfish, Acanthurus tennenti

• * Thompson's surgeonfish, Acanthurus thompsoni (Fowler, 1923).
• * Convict surgeonfish, Acanthurus triostegus (Linnaeus, 1758).
• * Indian Ocean mimic surgeonfish, Acanthurus tristis Randall, 1993.
• * Yellowfin surgeonfish, Acanthurus xanthopterus Valenciennes, 1835.
• Genus Ctenochaetus
• * Twospot surgeonfish, Ctenochaetus binotatus Randall, 1955.
• * Ctenochaetus cyanocheilus Randall & Clements, 2001.
• * Ctenochaetus flavicauda Fowler, 1938.
• * Chevron tang, Ctenochaetus hawaiiensis Randall, 1955.

Chevron tang, Ctenochaetus hawaiiensis

• * Striped-fin surgeonfish, Ctenochaetus marginatus (Valenciennes, 1835).
• * Striated surgeonfish, Ctenochaetus striatus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825).
• * Spotted surgeonfish, Ctenochaetus strigosus (Bennett, 1828).

Spotted surgeonfish, Ctenochaetus strigosus

• * Tomini surgeonfish, Ctenochaetus tominiensis Randall, 1955.
• * Ctenochaetus truncatus Randall & Clements, 2001.
• Genus Naso
• * Whitemargin unicornfish, Naso annulatus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825).
• * Humpback unicornfish, Naso brachycentron (Valenciennes, 1835).
• * Spotted unicornfish, Naso brevirostris (Cuvier, 1829).
• * Naso caeruleacauda Randall, 1994.
• * Gray unicornfish, Naso caesius Randall & Bell, 1992.
• * Elegant unicornfish, Naso elegans (Rüppell, 1829).
• * Horseface unicornfish, Naso fageni Morrow, 1954.
• * Sleek unicornfish, Naso hexacanthus (Bleeker, 1855).
• * Orangespine unicornfish, Naso lituratus (Forster, 1801).
• * Elongate unicornfish, Naso lopezi Herre, 1927.

Elongate unicornfish, Naso lopezi

• * Naso maculatus Randall & Struhsaker, 1981.
• * Squarenose unicornfish, Naso mcdadei Johnson, 2002.
• * Slender unicorn, Naso minor (Smith, 1966).
• * Naso reticulatus Randall, 2001.
• * Oneknife unicornfish, Naso thynnoides (Cuvier, 1829).
• * Bulbnose unicornfish, Naso tonganus (Valenciennes, 1835).
• * Humpnose unicornfish, Naso tuberosus Lacépède, 1801.
• * Bluespine unicornfish, Naso unicornis (Forsskål, 1775).

Bluespine unicornfish, Naso unicornis

• * Bignose unicornfish, Naso vlamingii (Valenciennes, 1835).
• Genus Paracanthurus
• * Palette surgeonfish, Paracanthurus hepatus (Linnaeus, 1766).
• Genus Prionurus
• * Biafra doctorfish, Prionurus biafraensis (Blache & Rossignol, 1961).
• * Prionurus chrysurus Randall, 2001.
• * Razor surgeonfish, Prionurus laticlavius (Valenciennes, 1846).
• * Yellowspotted sawtail, Prionurus maculatus (Randall & Struhsaker, 1981).
• * Sixplate sawtail, Prionurus microlepidotus Lacépède, 1804.
• * Yellowtail surgeonfish, Prionurus punctatus Gill, 1862.
• * Scalpel sawtail, Prionurus scalprum Valenciennes, 1835.
• Genus Zebrasoma
• * Red Sea sailfin tang, Zebrasoma desjardinii (Bennett, 1836).

Red Sea sailfin tang, Zebrasoma desjardinii

• * Yellow tang, Zebrasoma flavescens (Bennett, 1828).
• * Spotted tang, Zebrasoma gemmatum (Valenciennes, 1835).
• * Longnose surgeonfish, Zebrasoma rostratum (Günther, 1875).
• * Twotone tang, Zebrasoma scopas (Cuvier, 1829).
• * Sailfin tang, Zebrasoma veliferum (Bloch, 1795).
• * Yellowtail tang, Zebrasoma xanthurum (Blyth, 1852).

Reference

• ["Acanthuridae"]. FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. November 2005 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2005.