Acanthurus pyroferus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Acanthurus pyroferus |
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Acanthurus pyroferus, also known as the chocolate surgeonfish or mimic surgeonfish, is a cool fish that lives in the ocean. It belongs to a family of fish called Acanthuridae. This family includes surgeonfishes, unicornfishes, and tangs. You can find this fish in the warm waters of the Indo-Pacific region. Other common names for this fish are orange-gilled surgeonfish, Pacific mimic surgeon, and yellowspot surgeon.
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What Kind of Fish Is It?
The Acanthurus pyroferus was first officially described in 1834. It was named by a Prussian explorer and naturalist named Heinrich von Kittlitz. He found this fish near Uléa in the Caroline Islands. This fish is part of the Acanthurus group. This group is one of many in the larger surgeonfish family.
Why Is It Called "Firebearer"?
The name pyroferus means "firebearer." This name likely comes from the bright orange color found on the fish. This orange patch is usually seen near its gills and above its pectoral fin (the fins on its sides). Kittlitz described this color as being like saffron, which is a bright orange-yellow spice.
What Does It Look Like?
The Acanthurus pyroferus can grow up to about 29 centimeters (11 inches) long. Its body is mostly yellowish-brown. It has a white band around its mouth. There is also a dark band that goes from its chin up to the top of its gill cover. A bright orange patch is usually found near the base of its pectoral fin. The back edge of its tail fin is white. This fish has a dorsal fin (top fin) with 8 strong spines and 27 to 30 soft rays. Its anal fin (bottom fin) has 3 spines and 24 to 28 soft rays.
Where Does It Live?
You can find the Acanthurus pyroferus across the Indo-Pacific region. In the Indian Ocean, it lives around places like Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. In the Pacific Ocean, it spreads all the way to French Polynesia and Japan. It also lives as far south as New South Wales, Australia. This fish prefers to live alone on coral reefs. It can be found at depths from 2 meters (6.5 feet) down to 60 meters (197 feet).
Cool Facts About Its Life
Acanthurus pyroferus has a very interesting behavior called mimicry. Young Acanthurus pyroferus fish often pretend to be other fish. For example, they can look like the Centropyge flavissimus. However, in places like Palau, where the Lemonpeel angelfish isn't found, the young Acanthurus pyroferus will instead mimic C. vrolikii. This helps them stay safe from predators.
This fish mainly eats by grazing on algae and tiny bits of dead material. Young fish have grooves in their spines. These spines might be used for defense. However, adult fish seem to lose this ability.
