Teleostei (teleosts) >
Acanthuriformes (Surgeonfishes) >
Acanthuridae (Surgeonfishes, tangs, unicornfishes) > Acanthurinae
Etymology: Acanthurus: Greek, akantha = thorn + Greek, oura = tail (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Richardson.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 22 - 91 m (Ref. 57178). Tropical; 22°N - 30°S, 91°E - 167°W
Western Pacific: Philippines, Indonesia and northwestern Australia.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 35.6 cm FL male/unsexed; (Ref. 125599); max. published weight: 1.2 kg (Ref. 125599)
Dorsal spines (total): 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 25 - 26; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 23 - 24. This species is characterize by the following head with small pale (rust colour in life) spots; black around peduncular spine groove of adults extending well ahead of front of spine (by a distance almost as long as spine on a 24.5 cm SL specimen); caudal fin with a very narrow white posterior margin (broader in young); body depth of adults (> 20 cm SL) 2.2.-2.5 times in SL (Ref. 9808); anterior gill rakers 16-18; posterior 21-23; when preserved, color of body brown; head spotted with bands in front of eye; tip of pectoral fin paler than the base; upper end of gill opening with a faint dark brown elongate blotch; dark brown color encircling caudal spine; caudal fin base white (Ref. 1920).
Inhabits silty coastal reefs (Ref. 9710). A good food fish (Ref. 3132).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Randall, J.E., 1956. A revision of the surgeonfish genus Acanthurus. Pac. Sci. 10(2):159-235. (Ref. 1920)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial
Tools
Special reports
Download XML
Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 24.3 - 28.3, mean 27.3 °C (based on 191 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.02291 (0.01333 - 0.03937), b=2.96 (2.82 - 3.10), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & Genus-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 2.1 ±0.1 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low to moderate vulnerability (30 of 100).
Nutrients (Ref.
124155): Calcium = 53.7 [22.1, 150.9] mg/100g; Iron = 0.724 [0.280, 1.754] mg/100g; Protein = 18.1 [16.8, 19.4] %; Omega3 = 0.109 [0.050, 0.227] g/100g; Selenium = 21.8 [7.6, 65.7] μg/100g; VitaminA = 38.7 [8.9, 160.6] μg/100g; Zinc = 2.67 [0.85, 4.89] mg/100g (wet weight);
