Surgeonfish, unicornfish, and tangs belong to the Acanthuridae family. They have scalpel-like spines on either side of the tail. Over twenty species are found in the Maldives.
Surgeonfish:
Night surgeonfish, Acanthurus thompsoni
Gold-ring bristletooth, Ctenochaetus binotatus
Powder-blue surgeonfish, Acanthurus leucosternon
Fine-lined bristletooth, Ctenochaetus striatus
Ring-tail surgeonfish, Acanthurus auranticavus
Sailfin surgeonfish (sailfin tang), Zebrasima desjardini
Lieutenant surgeonfish, Acanthurus tennenti
Unicornfish are in the surgeonfish family. Some species have a "rostral protuberance", a horn-like extension of the forehead. They eat algae.
Sleek unicornfish, Naso hexacanthus
Hump-nose unicornfish, Naso mcdadei
Big-nose unicornfish, Naso vlamingli
Orange-spine unicornfish, Naso elegans
Spotted unicornfish, Naso brevirostris (female left, male right)
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Last modified 1 November 2024