Ocean surgeon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ocean surgeon |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Acanthuriformes |
| Family: | Acanthuridae |
| Genus: | Acanthurus |
| Species: |
A. bahianus
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| Binomial name | |
| Acanthurus bahianus Castelnau, 1855
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| Synonyms | |
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The ocean surgeonfish, also known as the ocean surgeon, is a type of ocean fish. It's part of a group of fish called Acanthuridae, which includes surgeonfishes, unicornfishes, and tangs. You can find this fish living on reefs in the Atlantic Ocean, especially near Brazil. Sometimes, people catch them for food or use them as bait. They are also popular in tropical saltwater aquariums.
Contents
About the Ocean Surgeonfish
How Scientists Name Fish
The ocean surgeonfish, Acanthurus bahianus, was first officially described in 1855. A French naturalist named François-Louis Laporte, comte de Castelnau gave it its scientific name. He found it near Bahia in Brazil.
For a long time, scientists thought this fish lived all over the western Atlantic Ocean, from Bermuda to Massachusetts. But later, they looked more closely at the fish from the northern and southern Atlantic. They found that the fish in the north looked a bit different and had different genes. So, scientists decided the northern fish was actually a separate species called A. tractus. This means the Acanthurus bahianus we are talking about mostly lives in the South Atlantic.
What Does the Ocean Surgeonfish Look Like?
Ocean surgeonfish have bodies that are shaped like an oval. They are usually a solid color, often blue-gray or dark brown. They have pale or dark marks around their eyes. Sometimes, you might see light yellow on their bodies.
Their dorsal fin (top fin), anal fin (bottom fin), and tail fin often have blue or white markings. You might also see light bands near the base of their tails. These fish often swim together in schools with other fish, like the Atlantic blue tang surgeonfish. They can grow up to 38 cm (15 in) long.
The ocean surgeonfish has 9 spines on its dorsal fin and between 23 and 26 soft rays. Their anal fins have 3 spines and 21 to 23 rays. Their tail fins are slightly curved inward. Both their bodies and heads are deep and flattened from side to side.
Where Do Ocean Surgeonfish Live?
Acanthurus bahianus live in coral reefs. They like to eat algae that grows on the reefs. In the southern and central Atlantic, you can find them along the coast of Brazil. Their range goes from Maranhão south to Santa Catarina. They also live around many islands, including Fernando de Noronha, Atol das Rocas, Trindade, Ascension Island, and St. Helena.
 | Emma Amos |
 | Edward Mitchell Bannister |
 | Larry D. Alexander |
 | Ernie Barnes |
