| Surgeonfish | |
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| Sohal surgeonfish,Acanthurus sohal. The orange mark on the tailpeduncle shows where the spine is folded in. | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Acanthuriformes |
| Suborder: | Acanthuroidei |
| Family: | Acanthuridae Bonaparte, 1835[1] |
| Genera | |
see text | |
Acanthuridae are afamily ofray-finned fish which includessurgeonfishes,tangs, andunicornfishes. The family includes about 86extant species ofmarine fish living in tropical seas, usually aroundcoral reefs. Many of the species are brightly colored and popular inaquaria.
The name of the family is derived from the Greek wordsakantha andoura, which loosely translate to "thorn" and "tail", respectively. This refers to the distinguishing characteristic of the family, the "scalpel" found on thecaudal peduncle.[2] In the early 1900s, the family was calledHepatidae.[3]
Acanthuridae contains the followingextant subfamilies and genera:[4][1]
There are several extinct genera known from fossils dating from theEocene toMiocene:
A particularly large diversity of fossil surgeonfish is known from theMonte Bolcalagerstatte of Italy. These represent some of the earliest representatives of the individual tribes within the Acanthuridae.[6]
The distinctive characteristic of the family is that they have scalpel-likemodified scales, one or more on either side of thepeduncle of the tail.[11] The spines are dangerously sharp and may seriously injure anyone who carelessly handles such a fish. Thedorsal,anal, andcaudal fins are large, extending for most of the length of the body. The mouths are small and have a single row of teeth adapted to grazing on algae.[2]
Surgeonfishes sometimes feed as solitary individuals, but they often travel and feed in schools. Feeding in schools may be a mechanism for overwhelming the highly aggressive defense responses of small territorialdamselfishes that vigorously guard small patches of algae on coral reefs.[12]Most species are fairly small, with a maximum length of 15–40 cm (6–15.5 in), but some in the genusAcanthurus, some in the genusPrionurus, and most species in the genusNaso may grow larger; thewhitemargin unicornfish (Naso annulatus) is the largest species in the family, reaching a length of up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in). These fishes may grow quickly in aquaria, so average growth size and suitability should be checked before adding them to any marine aquarium.
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A larval acanthurid, known as anacronurus, looks strikingly different from the juvenile and adult forms of the same individual. It is mostly transparent and tends to have apelagic lifestyle, living in open water for an extended period of time before settling on the ocean bottom near the shore, where it develops into the juvenile and ultimately the adult form.[13]
Acanthurids are the only known hosts of the bacteria of the genusEpulopiscium bacteria. These bacteria affect the digestion of surgeonfishes enabling them to digest the algae in their diet.[14][15][16]
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Tangs are very sensitive to disease in the home aquarium. However, if the tang is fed enough algae and the aquarium is properly maintained disease should not be a problem. It is usually necessary to quarantine the animals for a period before introducing them to the aquarium.
Adults range from 15 to 40 centimetres (5.9 to 15.7 in) in length and most grow quickly even in aquaria. When considering a tang for an aquarium it is important to consider the size to which these fish can grow. Larger species such as the popularPacific blue tang surgeonfish (ofFinding Nemo fame),Naso or lipstick tang,lined surgeonfish,Sohal surgeonfish andAtlantic blue tang surgeonfish can grow to 40 cm (16 in) and require swimming room and hiding places.
Many also suggest adding aggressive tangs to the aquarium last as they are territorial and may fight and possibly kill other fish.
Tangs primarily graze onmacroalgae from genera such asCaulerpa andGracilaria, although they have been observed in an aquarium setting to eat meat-based fish foods. A popular technique for aquarists, is to grow macroalgae in asump orrefugium. This technique not only is economically beneficial, but serves to promote enhanced water quality throughnitrate absorption. The growth of the algae can then be controlled by feeding it to the tang.
Media related toAcanthuridae at Wikimedia CommonsAuthority control databases: National |
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