Epaulette surgeonfish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Epaulette surgeonfish |
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The epaulette surgeonfish, also known as the black-barred surgeonfish or white-tail surgeonfish, is a fascinating marine fish. It belongs to a group of fish called surgeonfishes, which also includes unicornfishes and tangs. You can find this fish swimming in the warm waters of the Indo-Pacific region.
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What's in a Name?
Scientists give every living thing a special two-part name, like Acanthurus nigricauda. This helps everyone know exactly which animal they are talking about! This fish was first described in 1929 by two German scientists, Paul Georg Egmont Duncker and Erna Mohr. They first thought it was a type of Acanthurus gahhm. Later, in 1987, another scientist named John E. Randall confirmed it was its own unique species.
Why "Nigricauda"?
The name nigricauda means "black tail." This name was given because its dark brown tail area helped scientists tell it apart from other similar fish.
What Does the Epaulette Surgeonfish Look Like?
The epaulette surgeonfish has a body that is flat on the sides and quite deep from top to bottom. It can grow up to about 40 centimeters (16 inches) long. Its head has a rounded shape, and its eyes stick out a bit. It has two small openings, like nostrils, right in front of its eyes.
Its top fin (dorsal fin) has 9 sharp spines and 25 to 28 soft rays. The bottom fin (anal fin) has 3 spines and 23 to 26 soft rays. Its tail fin is shaped like a crescent moon. The fish's body is covered in tiny scales, making it look very smooth.
The color of this fish can change depending on its mood, from light gray to dark brown or almost black. Its head is usually lighter than its body. A clear black stripe, like an "epaulette" (a shoulder decoration), runs behind its eye all the way to its gill cover. There's also a thin black line just in front of the two sharp, retractable "scalpels" on its tail.
The top fin is yellowish with a black line and a blue edge. The bottom fin is gray with a blue edge. Its side fins (pectoral fins) have an orange base and are striped with gray, yellow, and clear parts. The tail fin has a white base and a dark outer part with a blue border. You can tell this fish apart from a similar one, the doubleband surgeonfish, because the epaulette surgeonfish only has one black stripe behind its head.
Where Do They Live?
The epaulette surgeonfish lives in the warm, tropical and subtropical parts of the Indian Ocean and the western and central Pacific Ocean. You can find them from East Africa all the way to the Tuamoto Islands, and from southern Japan down to Australia and New Caledonia.
They prefer to live over sandy and rocky areas, in calm bays, lagoons, and on the slopes of reefs. They usually stay in waters up to about 30 meters (100 feet) deep. Unlike many other surgeonfish, they are not often found directly on coral reefs.
Life and Habits
The epaulette surgeonfish often swims in groups called shoals. Sometimes, they even join up with other fish like the orange-band surgeonfish.
What Do They Eat?
These fish eat by grazing on the thin layer of algae that grows over sandy areas near coral or rocks. However, they don't get much nutrition from the algae itself. Instead, they mostly eat the tiny bits of dead plants and animals (called detritus) that get stuck in the algae film.
Reproduction
Male and female epaulette surgeonfish are separate. Both sexes are ready to have babies when they are about 15 centimeters (6 inches) long. When it's time to breed, large groups of these fish gather together. Both the males and females release their eggs and sperm into the water.
Defense Mechanisms
The "scalpels" on their tail are very sharp and can be pulled back into their body. When they feel threatened or are fighting with another fish, they stick out these scalpels by moving their tail sideways. They use them to slash at other fish or to protect themselves from predators.
Young Fish
Young epaulette surgeonfish are shorter and have deeper bodies than adults. When they are very young, they are deep brown with a yellowish tail fin that isn't notched. As they grow to about 5 to 10 centimeters (2 to 4 inches) long, their colors gradually change to look more like the adults.
