Acanthurus nigricans

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Acanthurus nigricans
Acanthurus nigricans SI.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. nigricans
Binomial name
Acanthurus nigricans
Synonyms [2]
  • Chaetodon nigricans Linnaeus, 1758
  • Acanthurus glaucopareius Cuvier, 1829
  • Acanthurus aliala Lesson, 1831

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. [3]

Contents

Taxonomy

Acanthurus nigricans was first formally described by Linnaeus in the 10th edition of the Systema Naturae published in 1758 with the type locality given as the Red Sea but it is actually thought to be Indonesia. [4] This species forms a species complex with three other species in the genus Acanthurus, A. achilles , A. japonicus and A. leucosernon , these three all having parapatric distributions in respect to each other but all within the range of A. nigricans which frequently hybridises with the other three species. [5] 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. [6]

Etymology

Acanthurus nigricans has the specific name nigricans which means “swarthy” or “blackish”, a reference to the bluish-black colour of this fish’s body. [7]

Description

Acanthurus nigricans has a body which is shaped like an elongated oval, with a steep dorsal profile to the head and an eye positioned high on the head. It has a small protrusible mouth with between 8 and 28 small teeth on the jaws which have flattened, notched tips. [8] The dorsal fin is supported by 9 spines and between 28 and 31 soft rays while the anal fin contains 3 spines and 26 to 28 soft rays. [2] The overall colour is bluish-black or black broken by a large patch of white below the eye. There is a yellow band at the base of both the dorsal and anal fins and this widens as it approaches the caudal fin. The caudal peduncle has a patch of yellow around the spine and its sheath. The caudal fin is white with a slender yellow submarginal band. [8] This species has a maximum published fork length of 36 cm (14 in). [2]

Distribution and habitat

Acanthrus nigricans is found as far east as the Chagos Islands in the British Indian Ocean Territory in the central Indian Ocean, Christams Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands in the eastern Indian Ocean. In the Pacific Ocena it is more widespread and is found from the Ryukyu Islands of southern Japan south to the Great Barrier Reef and east across the Pacific to the eastern coasts of Central and South American between the Gulf of California and Ecuador. [1] It is a benthopelagic fish with the adults being found at depths from the surface down to 67 m (220 ft) over hard substrates in clear waters in lagoons and over seaward reefs. The juveniles hide among large corals. [2]

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.

<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.

<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 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 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 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.

<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 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.

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.; Choat, J.H.; et al. (2012). "Acanthurus nigricans". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2012: e.T177969A1506081. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T177969A1506081.en . Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2023). "Acanthurus nigricans" in FishBase. June 2023 version.
  3. ↑ "Acanthurus nigricans: Distribution". Encyclopedia of Life . Retrieved 3 May 2014.
  4. ↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Acanthurus". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 23 September 2023.
  5. ↑ Kaithefishguy (11 April 2015). "Speciation and hybridisation of the Acanthurus nigricans complex". Reef Builders. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
  6. ↑ 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.
  7. ↑ 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 23 September 2023.
  8. 1 2 "Species: Acanthurus nigricans, Goldrimmed surgeonfish, Whitecheek surgeonfish". Shorefishes of the Eastern Pacific online information system. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute . Retrieved 23 September 2023.

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