Brown surgeonfish (Acanthurus nigrofuscus)

Scientific name: Acanthurus nigrofuscus Forssk?l, 1775

The Brown surgeonfish (Acanthurus nigrofuscus) is a marine fish of the family Acanthuridae. In the aquarium it needs water at 24–28°C (75–82°F).

Brown surgeonfish care at a glance

Temperature: 24–28°C (75–82°F)

Biology

Found on hard substrates of shallow lagoon and seaward reefs from the lower surge zone to a depth of more than 15 m. Benthopelagic. Feed on filamentous algae. Form spawning aggregations. Adults usually in small groups, but form large schools in some oceanic locations. Juveniles are often seen in mixed species aggregations. Species at the bottom of the 'pecking order' among surgeon fishes, and as a result employs the strategy of feeding in large schools that overwhelm the territorial defenses of other herbivores. Caught with nets. Can be eaten both raw and cooked. Maximum depth reported at 25m

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Acanthurus nigrofuscus
Family: Acanthuridae (Surgeonfishes, tangs, unicornfishes)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 21.0
Depth range: 0–25 m (0–82 ft)
Environment: Marine; reef-associated; depth range 0 - 25 m, usually 2 - 25 m
Climate: Tropical
Distribution: Indo-Pacific: Red Sea south to Transkei, South Africa and east to the Hawaiian and Tuamoto islands, north to southern Japan, south to the southern Great Barrier Reef, New Caledonia, and Rapa (Austral Islands).
Conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated
Threat to humans: Reports of ciguatera poisoning
Uses: Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial
Resilience: Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=1.00-1.72; tm=2)