White-freckled surgeonfish (Acanthurus maculiceps)

Scientific name: Acanthurus maculiceps Ahl, 1923

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

White-freckled surgeonfish care at a glance

Temperature: 24–28°C (75–82°F)

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 24-26; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 22 - 24. Brown in color when preserved; a black bar on upper edge of gill opening; head spotted; a less intense dark mark just behind the eye, connected narrowly with the dark bar; a dark brown region around the caudal spine; outer third of upper pectoral rays pale yellow. Large adults develop a distinctly convex head profile. Gill rakers on anterior row:19-23, on posterior row: 21-24.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Acanthurus maculiceps
Family: Acanthuridae (Surgeonfishes, tangs, unicornfishes)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 40.0
Depth range: 1–15 m (3–49 ft)
Environment: Marine; reef-associated; depth range 1 - 15 m, usually 3 - 15 m
Climate: Tropical
Distribution: Indo-West Pacific: Maldives; then from the Andaman Sea and Christmas Island in the eastern Indian Ocean to the Philippines and the Line Islands, north to the Ryukyu Islands, south to Samoa.
Conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated
Threat to humans: Harmless
Uses: Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial
Resilience: Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)