Acanthurus tristis

Last updated

Acanthurus tristis
Acanthurus tristis.jpg
Juvenile
Snip of adult A. tristis.png
Adult
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Acanthuriformes
Family: Acanthuridae
Genus: Acanthurus
Species:
A. tristis
Binomial name
Acanthurus tristis

Acanthurus tristis, the Indian Oceam 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.

Contents

Taxonomy

Acanthurus tristis was first formally described in 1993 by the American ichthyologist John Ernest Randall with its type locality given as Lively Rocks off Trincomalee on the east coast of Sri Lanka. [2] 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. [3]

Etymology

Acanthurus tristis has the specific name tristis, meaning "sad". This is thought to be a reference to the grey, subdued "mournful" colour of adults. The name was first used in an unpublished manuscript and painting by Samuel Tickell, subsequently being mentioned by Francis Day in 1888 who also described its ashy colour, [4] although Day classified Tickell's name as a synonym of Acanthurus tennenti . [5]

Description

Acanthurus tristis has its dorsal fin supported by 8 rays and 27 or 28 (typically 27) soft rays while the anal fin is supported by 3 spines and between 22 and 29 soft rays. [5] It has a deep compressed body which is half as deep as its standard length. It has a rather protruding snout and the dorsal profile of the head is convex. In adults the caudal fin is lunate. The adults have an overall colour of yellowish-brown to dark brown with a wide dark band running from the chin to the upper margin of the operculum. There is a white ring around the lower lip and a slender white rear margin to the caudal fin. The spine on the caudal peduncle has a patch of black enclosing it. [6] The juveniles are Batesian mimics of Centropyge eibli and are pale brown coloured with orange stripes on the sides, with an orange chest, orange ring around the eye and orange margins to the dorsal and anal fins. The caudal fin also mimics that of C. eibli being black with a bright blue rear margin. [7] The maximum published total length of this species is 25 cm (9.8 in). [8]

Distribution and habitat

Acanthurus tristis is found in the eastern Indian Ocean. It is found from the Maldives and Chagos Archipelago east to the Andaman Sea and south to Java. [1] In Australian waters it is found at Christmas Island. [6] This species occurs in seaward and lagoon reefs at depths between 2 and 30 m (6 ft 7 in and 98 ft 5 in) in areas of mixed sand, coral rubble and rock. [8]

Utilisation

Acanthurus tristis is part of the aquarium trade. [1] [7]

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 surgeionfishes, 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.

<i>Centropyge eibli</i> Species of fish

Centropyge eibli, the blacktail angelfish, red stripe angelfish, orangelined angelfish, or Eibl dwarf angel is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a marine angelfish belonging to the family Pomacanthidae. It is found near reefs in the Indo-Pacific.

<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 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 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 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.

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 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>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 whitechin surgeonfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. It is endemic to the waters of the western Pacific Ocean in the Philippines.

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 3 Abesamis, R.; Clements, K.D.; McIlwain, J.; et al. (2012). "Acanthurus tristis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2012: e.T177998A1516342. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T177998A1516342.en . Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  2. Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Acanthurus". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  3. 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.
  4. 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 3 October 2023.
  5. 1 2 Randall, J. E. (1993). "Acanthurus tristis, a valid Indian Ocean surgeonfish (Perciformes: Acanthuridae)". The J.L.B Smith Institute of Ichthyology Special Publication (54): 1–8.
  6. 1 2 Bray, D.J. (2022). "Acanthurus tristis". Fishes of Australia. Museums Victoria. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  7. 1 2 Jeremy Gay (21 June 2023). "Try Acanthurus tristis – The Indian Mimic Surgeonfish". Reef Builders. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  8. 1 2 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2023). "Acanthurus tristis" in FishBase . June 2023 version.