Convict surgeonfish (Acanthurus triostegus)

Scientific name: Acanthurus triostegus Linnaeus, 1758

The Convict surgeonfish (Acanthurus triostegus) is a marine fish of the family Acanthuridae. In the aquarium it needs water at 24–26°C (75–79°F).

Convict surgeonfish care at a glance

Temperature: 24–26°C (75–79°F)

Biology

Occur in lagoon and seaward reefs with hard substrate; young abundant in tide pools. Benthopelagic. Often feeding near freshwater run-offs where certain algae grow on rocks that are grazed. Occasionally form schools; feed on filamentous algae in large aggregations. During spawning, clouds of eggs and sperm are preyed upon by eagle rays which are often present during spawning. Form spawning aggregations. Size of metamorphosis from post-larva stage to juvenile is 3.2 cm. Utilized as a food fish. Minimum depth reported taken from.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Acanthurus triostegus
Family: Acanthuridae (Surgeonfishes, tangs, unicornfishes)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 27.0
Common length: 17.0
Depth range: 0–90 m (0–295 ft)
Environment: Marine; reef-associated; depth range 0 - 90 m, usually 0 - 90 m
Climate: Tropical
Distribution: Indo-Pacific: throughout the region except for the seas around the Arabian Peninsula. Eastern Pacific: lower Gulf of California to Panama, including the Revillagigedo, Cocos, Clipperton, and Galapagos 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=0.35; assuming tm=2)