Yellowfin surgeonfish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yellowfin surgeonfish |
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The yellowfin surgeonfish or Cuvier's surgeonfish (Acanthurus xanthopterus) is a fascinating marine fish known for changing its colors as it grows up. This special ability once made it hard for scientists to identify them. For a long time, young yellowfin surgeonfish and adult ones were thought to be different species.
But thanks to aquariums and coral reef aquaculture (raising marine life), experts started to notice these amazing color changes. Only recently have zoologists begun to truly understand this transformation as the fish gets older.
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What Does the Yellowfin Surgeonfish Look Like?
The yellowfin surgeonfish can grow quite large, up to about 70 cm (28 in) long. It has a purplish-gray body. You might spot a dull yellow area right in front of its eye.
Its pectoral fins (the ones on its sides) are yellow on the outer part. The very tips of these fins are clear, almost see-through. Its dorsal fin (on its back) and anal fin (on its belly) are yellowish-gray near the body and dull yellow towards the edges. The caudal fin (tail fin) is purplish. This fish also has a small, sharp spine near its tail, which is why it's called a "surgeonfish"!
Where Does the Yellowfin Surgeonfish Live?
This fish makes its home near coral reefs. It can be found in waters from about 5–90 m (16–295 ft) deep. It prefers warm ocean temperatures, usually between 24–28 °C (75–82 °F).
You can find the yellowfin surgeonfish in a wide area across the ocean. Its range stretches from East Africa all the way to the Hawaiian Islands and French Polynesia. It also lives north to southern Japan and south to the Great Barrier Reef and New Caledonia. In the Eastern Pacific, it's found from the lower Gulf of California and Clipperton Island down to Panama and the Galápagos Islands.
Young yellowfin surgeonfish like to live in shallow, protected waters close to shore, where the water might be a bit cloudy. As they grow into adults, they move to deeper parts of protected bays and lagoons.
What Does the Yellowfin Surgeonfish Eat?
The yellowfin surgeonfish is a busy eater! It feeds on tiny plant-like organisms called diatoms. It also eats detritus (tiny bits of decaying matter) found on the sand. Its diet includes filamentous algae (stringy green plants), small animals called hydroids, and even pieces of other fish. It's quite unique among surgeonfish because it's one of the few that will actually take bait from a fishing line!
See also
In Spanish: Acanthurus xanthopterus para niños
