Whitespotted surgeonfish (Acanthurus guttatus)

Scientific name: Acanthurus guttatus Forster, 1801

Whitespotted surgeonfish (Acanthurus guttatus)

The Whitespotted surgeonfish (Acanthurus guttatus) is a marine fish of the family Acanthuridae.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 27-30; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 23 - 26. Preserved color is brown; spotted, white spots usually bordered with dark brown (may help conceal it in turbulent water that is often filled with small bubbles). Pelvic fins bright yellow. Each side of caudal peduncle with a single, sharp, forward-pointing erectile spine. Gill rakers on anterior row: 21-24; gill rakers on posterior row: 19-23.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Acanthurus guttatus
Family
Acanthuridae (Surgeonfishes, tangs, unicornfishes)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
26.0
Depth range
1–6 m (3–20 ft)
Environment
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 1 - 6 m
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Indo-Pacific: oceanic islands in the western Indian Ocean to the Hawaiian, Marquesan and Tuamoto islands, north to the Ryukyu Islands, south to New Caledonia and Rapa.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial
Resilience
High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

More tangs & surgeonfish

See all tangs & surgeonfish

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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