Doubleband surgeonfish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Doubleband surgeonfish |
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The doubleband surgeonfish, also called the lieutenant tang, is a cool fish that lives in the ocean. Its scientific name is Acanthurus tennenti. This fish is part of a group called "surgeonfish" because they have sharp, scalpel-like spines near their tail. You can find them in warm, tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific region. They can grow up to about 31 centimeters (12 inches) long.
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What Does the Doubleband Surgeonfish Look Like?
The doubleband surgeonfish has a body that is deep and flat from side to side. It looks like an oval. This fish can grow up to 31 centimeters (12 inches) long, but most are around 25 centimeters (10 inches).
Their color can change. They are usually orange-beige, olive-tan, or a shiny gray. But if they get scared or stressed, they might turn a dark brown with hints of red or purple.
You can spot two dark lines on their body. One runs along the bottom of their top fin (dorsal fin). Another similar line is found at the bottom of their belly fin (anal fin). They also have two dark stripes right behind their eyes.
Near their tail, they have special, sharp scales. These scales are like tiny scalpels and are blackish. They are surrounded by a big black spot with a blue edge. Both their top and bottom fins are long, reaching almost to their tail. Their tail fin is shaped like a crescent moon, and its points get longer as the fish gets older. The edge of the tail fin is a pretty bluish-white color.
Where Do They Live?
The doubleband surgeonfish lives in a very wide area. You can find them in the warm, tropical parts of the Indo-Pacific region. This includes places from East Africa and Madagascar all the way to southern India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia.
They like to live around rocks and coral reefs. You can often see them on the slopes of the reef or in the channels between different reef sections. They usually live in water that is up to about 35 meters (115 feet) deep.
Life and Habits of the Doubleband Surgeonfish
The doubleband surgeonfish mostly eats algae. Algae are like tiny plants that grow on the seabed. They also eat bits of dead plants and animals (detritus) and the thin layer of algae that grows on sand and other surfaces.
When it's time to have babies, the male and female fish release their eggs and sperm into the ocean. The baby fish, called larvae, float around in the open water for about seven weeks. After this time, they return to the coral reef where they will live.
Young surgeonfish often swim in groups with other types of fish. When they are very young, they might be black or yellow with a black ring around their eye. As they grow, they start to look more like the adult fish. However, the black marks behind their eyes might look like a horseshoe for a while.
These fish are active during the day. They often feed in small groups. Sometimes, they even join groups with other fish like parrotfish to find food.
Are They in Danger?
The doubleband surgeonfish is a common fish in many places where it lives. People sometimes catch them for food or to keep in aquariums.
Like many reef fish, they can be affected if their coral reef homes are destroyed. However, they live in several areas that are protected by marine parks. Because they are still found in many places and are not rare, a group called the International Union for Conservation of Nature says that this fish is of "least concern". This means they are not currently in danger of disappearing.
