Acanthuridae

Blackspot surgeonfish - Acanthurus bariene

Acanthurus bariene is a tropical fish also commonly known as the bariene surgeonfish, blackspot surgeonfish, or eyespot surgeonfish. It was first named by René Primavère Lesson in 1831. This species is widespread in the tropical Indo-Pacific from Mozam...

Blackstreak surgeonfish - Acanthurus nigricauda

Il Pesce Chirurgo coda nera, Acanthurus nigricauda, è un pesce osseo marino appartenente alla famiglia Acanthuridae. Questa specie è diffusa nell’Indo-Pacifico tropicale dalle coste dell’Africa orientale comprese le isole Mascarene a ovest alle alle i...

Blue surgeon fish - Paracanthurus hepatus

Paracanthurus hepatus Bleeker, 1863, commonly known as blue surgeon fish, is a marine water fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae. It is the only species of the genus Paracanthurus. Paracanthurus hepatus Pesce Chirurgo Blu intotheblue.it ...

Brown Surgeonfish - Acanthurus nigrofuscus

Il Pesce chirurgo, Acanthurus nigrofuscus, è un pesce osseo marino appartenente alla famiglia Acanthuridae. L’areale della specie comprende l'intero Indo-Pacifico tropicale compreso il mar Rosso. Vive sia nelle lagune degli atolli che lungo le pareti est...

Convict Surgeonfish - Acanthurus triostegus

Il Pesce Chirurgo Pentastriato, Acanthurus triostegus, è un pesce osseo marino appartenente alla famiglia Acanthuridae. L'areale della specie comprende l'intero Indo-Pacifico tropicale. Si trova a nord fino al Giappone meridionale e a sud fino alle Kermadec. ...

Lined Surgeonfish - Acanthurus lineatus

Acanthurus lineatus, the Lined Surgeonfish, is a member of the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes. Other common names include blue banded surgeonfish, blue-lined surgeonfish, clown surgeonfish, pyjama tang, striped surgeonfish, and zebra surgeonfish. ......

Orange-spine unicornfish - Naso litoratus

Naso lituratus is a species of fish in the family Acanthuridae, the tangs and unicornfishes. Its common names include barcheek unicornfish, naso tang, and orange-spine unicornfish. Unique to members of Acanthuridae, including Naso lituratus, are the E...

Palelipped surgeonfish - Acanthurus leucocheilus

Acanthurus leucocheilus, also known as the Palelipped surgeonfish or the white-spine surgeonfish is a species of tropical fish It is used commercially in aquariums. Is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, u...

Powder-blue surgeonfish - Acanthurus leucosternon

Acanthurus leucosternon, Bennet 1833, conosciuto comunemente come Pesce chirurgo gola bianca, è un pesce d'acqua salata appartenente alla famiglia Acanthuridae. Lo si può trovare presso le acque cristalline e poco profonde delle barriere coralline de...

Sailfin surgeonfish - Zebrasoma desjardinii

The Desjardin's sailfin tang, or Sailfin surgeonfish, Red Sea sailfin tang, (Zebrasoma desjardinii) is a marine reef tang in the fish family Acanthuridae. Zebrasoma desjardinii grows to a maximum length of 40 cm (16 in), with sexual dimorphism producing male...

Short-nosed unicornfish - Naso brevirostris

Short-nosed unicornfish or spotted unicornfish (Naso brevirostris) is a species of unicornfish in the family Acanthuridae. Naso brevirostris is widespread throughout the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Another species, Naso maculatus , may also be called ...

Zebra tang - Acanthurus polyzona

Acanthurus polyzona, commonly known as the black-barred surgeonfish or zebra tang, is a tropical fish found in coral reefs in the western Indian Ocean. It was first described in 1868 by the Dutch ichthyologist Pieter Bleeker, who gave it the name Rhombotides poly...

Acanthuridae are a family of ray-finned fish which includes surgeonfishes, tangs, and unicornfishes. The family includes about 86 extant species of marine fish living in tropical seas, usually around coral reefs. Acanthuridae Pesci chirurgo Pesci unicorno www.intotheblue.link

Powder-blue surgeonfish - Pesce chirurgo dalla gola bianca - Acanthurus leucosternon - www.intotheblue.it — Powder-blue surgeonfish – Pesce chirurgo dalla gola bianca – Acanthurus leucosternon – www.intotheblue.it

Distribution and habitat

The species of the family are widespread in the tropical zones of all seas and oceans. They are particularly common in the Indian and Pacific oceans where the majority of species live; in the Atlantic Ocean there are 5 species, including Acanthurus monroviae which has been captured a few times in the Mediterranean Sea. They are particularly common in coral reefs.

Description

They are fish with a rather high oval body and compressed laterally. The eye is placed high and the mouth, small, is often carried on a pointed snout. Some species of the genus Naso have a conspicuous pointed or tuberous appendage on the forehead. The dorsal fin is single and has some spiny rays. The scales are small. The expressive capacity of all the species of the family is interesting: a frightened, restless or sick individual appears paler or sometimes with details not visible if in good health.

Palelipped surgeonfish - Pesce chirurgo labbra chiare - Acanthurus leucocheilus - www.intotheblue.it — Palelipped surgeonfish – Pesce chirurgo labbra chiare – Acanthurus leucocheilus – www.intotheblue.it

Surgeonfish owe their common name and fame to an important defense weapon: a sort of retractable stylet present on each of the two sides of the caudal peduncle, extremely sharp (like a scalpel) and used by these species as an extreme defense tool: these crescent-shaped blades are in fact erected mainly for demonstration purposes. To enhance their importance, many species have showy aposematic colors in the caudal peduncle (or even the colored scalpel directly).

Biology

Diet

The majority of species are herbivorous and feed by grazing on algae.

Reproduction

Eggs and larvae are pelagic.

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