Acanthurus leucosternon

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Acanthurus leucosternon
Pez cirujano azul cielo (Acanthurus leucosternon), Zanzibar, Tanzania, 2024-05-30, DD 80.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Acanthuriformes
Family: Acanthuridae
Genus: Acanthurus
Species:
A. leucosternon
Binomial name
Acanthurus leucosternon
Synonyms [2]
  • Hepatus leucosternon (Bennett, 1833)
  • Rhombotides leucosternon (Bennett, 1833)
  • Acanthurus delisiani Valenciennes, 1835
  • Acanthurus delisianus Valenciennes, 1835

Acanthurus leucosternon, commonly known as the blue surgeonfish, powder blue tang or powder-blue surgeonfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This species is found in the Indian Ocean.

Contents

Taxonomy

Acanthurus leucosternon was first formally described in 1833 by the English naturalist Edward Turner Bennett with its type locality given as Sri Lanka. [3] The genus Acanthurus is one of two genera in the tribe Acanthurini which is one of three tribes in the subfamily Acanthurinae which is one of two subfamilies in the family Acanthuridae. [4]

Etymology

Acanthurus leucosternon has the specific name leucosternon. This combines the Greek words leukos, meaning "white", and sternon, meaning "breast"; this refers to the white chest shown by this species. [5]

Description

The fish can reach an average size of 23 cm (9 in) in length. [6] The body has an oval shape and is compressed laterally. Like other surgeonfishes, Acanthurus leucosternon swims with its pectoral fins. The caudal fin has a crescent shape. The fish has a "surgeon's scalpel," an erected part of the spine located at the base of the tail. [7] The mouth is small and pointed in a beak-like manner with tiny and sharp teeth for reaching narrow spaces of food. [8] Its sides are blue; [8] its dorsal fin and the base of caudal fin are yellow; [8] the head is black; [8] the mouth, the throat area, the anal and pelvic fins are white. [9] The pectoral fins are transparent with yellow reflections. The intensity of its blue color shows off if the fish is healthy or not.[ citation needed ] The fish does not undergo color changes as it matures; as some tangs, surgeonfish and unicornfish do.

Distribution and habitat

Acanthurus leucosternon is found in tropical waters from the Indian Ocean. [10] The species inhabits shallow and clear coastal waters always associated with a reef. It prefers flat top reefs and areas along seaward slopes. [10]

Behaviour

The powder blue tang, like most fish in the family Acanthuridae, is herbivorous, eating mostly benthic algae. [2] Acanthurus leucosternon has a diurnal activity. It is solitary, territorial and aggressive with other surgeonfish. [6] In cases where food is plentiful, it may feed in shoals, but in cases of scarcity, it may compete individually for food. [8] It may use its surgeon's scalpel as a defensive weapon. [6]

Economic value

Acanthurus leucosternon shoaling in the Maldives, Indian Ocean Maldives Surgeonfish, Acanthurus leucosternon.jpg
Acanthurus leucosternon shoaling in the Maldives, Indian Ocean

The powder blue tang is rarely harvested for anything other than the marine aquarium industry. It is a commonly sold fish that is moderately difficult to care for, although its popularity is easily exceeded by the regal tang and yellow tang.[ citation needed ] They are very prone to Cryptocaryon irritans . [6] They are reef safe and are compatible with most species except other species of fish in the genus Acanthurus . [6]

Related Research Articles

<i>Acanthurus</i> Genus of fishes

Acanthurus is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, which includes the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs, found in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Ocean. They are found in tropical oceans, especially near coral reefs, with most species in the Indo-Pacific but a few are found in the Atlantic Ocean. As other members of the family, they have a pair of spines, one on either side of the base of the tail which are dangerously sharp.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sohal surgeonfish</span> Species of fish

The sohal surgeonfish or sohal tang, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, which includes the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This fish is found in the northwestern Indian Ocean.

<i>Acanthurus achilles</i> Species of fish

Acanthurus achilles, the Achilles tang, redtail surgeonfish or redspot surgeonfish, is a marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This fish is found in the Pacific Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doctorfish tang</span> Species of fish

The doctorfish tang, also known as the doctorfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. These fishes are found in the western Atlantic Ocean.

<i>Acanthurus mata</i> Species of fish

Acanthurus mata, the pale surgeonfish, blue-lined surgeonfish, mata surgeonfish, striped surgeonfish, tailring surgeon, white-tail lancet or yellowmask surgeonfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This species is found in the Indo-Pacific region.

<i>Naso lituratus</i> Species of fish

Naso lituratus, the clown unicornfish, orangespined unicornfish, black-finned unicornfish, Pacific orangespined unicornfish, blackfinned unicornfish or stripefaced unicornfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This fish is found in the eastern Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean.

<i>Acanthurus lineatus</i> Species of fish

Acanthurus lineatus, the lined surgeonfish, blue banded surgeonfish, blue-lined surgeonfish, clown surgeonfish, pyjama tang, striped surgeonfish, and zebra surgeonfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This species is found in the Indo-Pacific region.

<i>Acanthurus nigricans</i> Species of fish

Acanthurus nigricans, the goldrim surgeonfish, velvet surgeon, whitecheek surgeonfish, yellow-banded surgeonfish or yellowrimmed surgeonfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This species is found from the central Indo-Pacific area to the eastern Pacific coast, Hawaii included.

<i>Acanthurus japonicus</i> Species of fish

Acanthurus japonicus, the Japan surgeonfish, white-faced surgeonfish, gold rim tang, powder brown tang and white-nose surgeonfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes or tangs. This fish is found in the Western Pacific Ocean.

<i>Acanthurus maculiceps</i> Species of fish

Acanthurus maculiceps, the white-freckled surgeonfish, yellow-freckled surgeonfish, pale-lined surgeonfish,spotted-faced surgeonfish or earbar surgeonfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This species is found in the Indo-West Pacific region.

<i>Acanthurus nigrofuscus</i> Species of fish

Acanthurus nigrofuscus, the brown surgeonfish, blackspot surgeonfish, brown tang, dusky surgeon, lavender tang or spot-cheeked surgeonfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the familyAcanthuridae, which includes the surgeonfishes, unicornishes and tangs. This species is a common and abundant fish occurring across a wide Indo-Pacific range.

<i>Acanthurus albipectoralis</i> Species of fish

Acanthurus albipectoralis, the whitefin surgeonfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This species is found in the Western Pacific Ocean.

<i>Acanthurus blochii</i> Species of fish

Acanthurus blochii, the ringtail surgeonfish or dark surgeonfish, is a marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This fish is found in the Indo-Pacific.

<i>Acanthurus nigricauda</i> Species of fish

Acanthurus nigricauda, the epaulette surgeonfish, black-barred surgeonfish, eye-line surgeonfish, shoulderbar surgeonfish, white-tail surgeonfish or blackstreak surgeonfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. It is native to the Indo-Pacific region.

<i>Acanthurus auranticavus</i> Species of fish

Acanthurus auranticavus, the ringtail surgeonfish or orange-socket surgeonfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This species is found in the Indo-West Pacific.

<i>Acanthurus bariene</i> Species of fish

Acanthurus bariene, the bariene surgeonfish, black-spot surgeonfish, or eye-spot surgeonfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This species is found in the Indo-Pacific.

<i>Acanthurus fowleri</i> Species of fish

Acanthurus fowleri, Fowler's surgeonfish or the horseshoe surgeonfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes or tangs. This fish is found in the Western Pacific Ocean.

<i>Acanthurus gahhm</i> Species of fish

Acanthurus gahhm, the black surgeonfish, monk surgeonfish or lined surgeonfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes or tangs. This fish is found in the western Indian Ocean.

Acanthurus reversus is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, which includes the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This fish is endemic to French Polynesia.

<i>Acanthurus thompsoni</i> Species of fish

Acanthurus thompsoni, the night surgeonfish, chocolate surgeonfish, Thompson's surgeonfish, Thompson's tang or whitetail surgeonfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae which includes the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This species has a wide Indo-Pacific distribution.

References

  1. ↑ Abesamis, R.; Clements, K.D.; McIlwain, J.; et al. (2012). "Acanthurus leucosternon". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2012: e.T178000A1516737. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T178000A1516737.en . Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  2. 1 2 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Acanthurus leocosternon". FishBase . June 2023 version.
  3. ↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Acanthurus". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  4. ↑ J. S. Nelson; T. C. Grande; M. V. H. Wilson (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Wiley. pp. 497–502. ISBN   978-1-118-34233-6.
  5. ↑ Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara, eds. (12 January 2021). "Order ACANTHURIFORMES (part 2): Families EPHIPPIDAE, LEIOGNATHIDAE, SCATOPHAGIDAE, ANTIGONIIDAE, SIGANIDAE, CAPROIDAE, LUVARIDAE, ZANCLIDAE and ACANTHURIDAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Lougher, Tristan (2006). What Fish?: A Buyer's Guide to Marine Fish. Interpet Publishing. p. 111. ISBN   0-7641-3256-3.
  7. ↑ Clipperton, John (1 September 2013). "Powder Blue Tang – Acanthurus leucosternon". Marine Habitat magazine. Fish Junkies Ltd. Archived from the original on 14 February 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 DK Publishing (17 January 2011). Animal Life: Secrets of the Animal World Revealed. DK Publishing. p. 188. ISBN   978-0-7566-8886-8.
  9. ↑ Andreas Vilcinskas, La vie sous-marine des tropiques, Vigot, 2002, 475 p. ( ISBN   2711415252), p. 366
  10. 1 2 "Facts about Powder Blue Tang (Acanthurus leucosternon) - Encyclopedia of Life". Eol.org. Retrieved 2014-01-04.

Further reading

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