Scientific Name
Acanthurus thompsoni

Common Name
Thompson's surgeonfish

Biology
Dorsal spines (total): 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 23-26; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 23 - 26. Body uniformly brown to dark brown; caudal fin pale in color (snow white in live fishes). Small, dark spot below and adjacent to axil of pectoral fin. Anterior gill rakers 15-18; posterior 14-16. Snout length 7.9 to 8.2 times in SL. Least depth of caudal peduncle 2.2 to 2.5 times in head length (Ref 9808).

Classification

Classified By

Fowler, 1923

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Perch-like fish (Perciformes)

Family

Surgeonfishes, tangs, unicornfishes (Acanthuridae)

Distribution

Region

Indo-Pacific

Distribution

Indo-Pacific: East Africa, including the Mascarene Islands (Ref. 37792) to the Hawaiian, Marquesan, and Ducie islands, north to southern Japan, south to Rapa (Austral Islands). The Indian Ocean population is without the white caudal fin.

Range

23°N - 29°S, 32°E - 147°W

Environment

Climate

Tropical

Water Temperature From

24 °C

Water Temperature To

27 °C

Depth From - meters

4 m

Depth To - meters

119 m

Zone

reef-associated

Environment

Marine; brackish; reef-associated; depth range 4 - 119 m (Ref. 58302), usually 5 - 70 m (Ref. 27115)

Trophic Level

3.41 s.e. 0.40 Based on diet studies.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

True

Occurs in Brackish water

True

Occurs in Fresh Water

False

Occurs on Reefs

True

Is kept in Aquariums

True

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

27.0 cm

Common Length

Unknown cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5000 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Aquarium: commercial

Vulnerability

Low to moderate vulnerability (26 of 100)

Resilience

High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Threat To Humans

Harmless

IUCN Red List Status

Not Evaluated