Acanthurus maculiceps

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Acanthurus maculiceps
A. maculiceps.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. maculiceps
Binomial name
Acanthurus maculiceps
(C. G. E. Ahl, 1923)
Synonyms [2]
  • Hepatus maculiceps Ahl, 1923

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.

Contents

Taxonomy

Acanthurus maculiceps was first formally described in 1923 by the German zoologist Ernst Ahl with its type locality given as Talasea on New Britain in Papua New Guinea. [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 maculiceps has the specific name maculiceps, this combines the Latin words maculatus, meaning "spotted", and ceps, meaning "head", this refers to the large number of white spots on the head of this fish. [5]

Description

Acanthurus maculiceps has its dorsal fin supported by 9 spines and between 24 and 26 soft rays while the anal fin is supported by 3 spines and 22 to 24 soft rays. [2] It has an oval, laterally compressed body with a convex dorsal profile to the head. In juveniles the caudal fin is truncate but as they grow it becomes lunate with long filaments growing out of the fin lobes [6] The head is marked with pale spots and the body has fine lines along the flanks, there is a yellow patch underneath the mouth on the breast and an elongated dark blotch to the rear of the eye. The spine on the caudal peduncle is within a dark blotch and there is frequently a yellowish band on caudal peduncle with the pectoral fins having yellow tips. [7] The overall colour may vary from light yellow to dark brown and the change in colour can happen very quickly. [6] This species has a maximum published standard length of 40 cm (16 in)> [2]

Distribution and habitat

Acanthurus maculiceps is found in the Indo-Pacific region. It is found in the Maldives, east into the Pacific as far as the Line Islands, north to the Ryukyu Islands and south to the Great Barrier Reef off Australia. [1] These fishes are found in clear waters in the outer reef flats and on seaward reefs at depths between 1 and 15 m (3 ft 3 in and 49 ft 3 in). [2]

Biology

Acanthurus maculiceps is found either solitarily or in small groups. [7] They are grazers feeding on algae and detritus. The males develop brighter nuptial colours when spawning. The eggs are pelagic and the juveniles are white, developing adult colours slowly from a length of 20 cm (7.9 in)> [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.

<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">Sailfin tang</span> Species of fish

The sailfin tang, the Pacific sailfin tang, purple sailfinned tang or sailfin surgeonfish, is a marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae which includes the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This fish is found in the Pacific Ocean and is popular in the aquarium hobby.

<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 nigroris</i> Species of fish

Acanthurus nigroris, the bluelined surgeonfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, which includes the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This species and A. nigros have been regarded as synonymous with the combined taxon having a wide Indo-Pacific distribution, if treated as a separate valid species it is confined to the United States Pacific islands.

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

Acanthurus pyroferus, chocolate surgeonfish, mimic surgeonfish, orange-gilled surgeonfish, Pacific mimic surgeon, and yellowspot surgeon, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, which includes the sugeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This species is found in the Indo-Pacific region.

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

Acanthurus tristis, the Indian Ocean mimic surgeonfish, blackcheek surgeonfish or yellowspot surgeonfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae which includes the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This species is found in the eastern Indian Ocean.

<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 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 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 grammoptilus</i> Species of fish

Acanthurus grammoptilus the finelined surgeonfish, inshore surgeonfish, Northwest surgeonfish or ring-tailed surgeonfis, is a marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This fish is found in the Western Pacific Ocean.

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

Acanthurus leucocheilus, the palelipped surgeonfish or the white-spine 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 Indo-Pacific region.

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.

<i>Ctenochaetus marginatus</i> Species of fish

Ctenochaetus marginatus, the blue-spotted bristletooth, blue-spotted surgeonfish or striped-fin surgeonfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the biology Acanthuridae which includes the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. The blue-spotted bristletooth is found in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean.

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

Acanthurus tractus, the five-band surgeonfish, ocean surgeon, or ocean surgeonfish, is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Acanthuridae found in the western Atlantic Ocean, Florida, the Bahamas, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Until recently, it was considered a synonym of Acanthurus bahianus, but its status as a separate species was resurrected in 2011.

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

The grey-head 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. 1 2 Abesamis, R.; Clements, K.D.; McIlwain, J.; et al. (2012). "Acanthurus maculiceps". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2012: e.T177957A1502445. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T177957A1502445.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Acanthurus maculiceps". 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 19 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 19 September 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 Guiseppe Mazzi (25 June 2013). "Acanthirus maculiceps". Monaco Nature Encyclopedia.
  7. 1 2 "Acanthurus maculiceps". Reef Life Survey. Retrieved 19 September 2023.