Palette Surgeonfish

Scientific Name: Paracanthurus hepatus
Family: Surgeonfishes - Acanthuridae
Maximum Size: 31cm
Identification: Brilliant blue head and body with dramatic black hook-shaped marking, yellow tail with black borders.
Favourite: Solitary or form groups.
Hide-out: Young hide in branching corals. Usually on clear, current swept outer reefs in 2-25m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - E. Africa to Indonesia, Micronesia, Samoa, New Caledonia and Line I. S.W. Japan to Great Barrier Reef.

White-Freckled Surgeonfish

Scientific Name: Acanthurus maculiceps
Family: Surgeonfishes - Acanthuridae
Maximum Size: 20cm
Identification: Black head with numerous white spots and grayish body; black streak behind upper edge of gill cover, black margin on tail spine, often a white ring around tail base.
Favourite: Solitary or form groups.
Hide-out: Outer reefs to 15m.
Location: East Indo-Pacific - Andaman Sea to Micronesia and Line Is. in E. Central Pacific. S.W. Japan to Samoa and Great Barrier Reef.

Whitetail Surgeonfish

Scientific Name: Acanthurus thompsoni
Family: Surgeonfishes - Acanthuridae
Maximum Size: 27cm
Identification: Dark brown changeable to pale bluish gray, white tail base; may display stripe pattern; body more slender than most surgeonfishes.
Favourite: Form groups; feed on zooplankton high above the bottom.
Hide-out: Seaward reef slopes and steep dropoffs in 4-75m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - E. Africa to Micronesia, Hawaii and French Polynesia. S.W. Japan to Australia.

Convict Surgeonfish

Scientific Name: Acanthurus triostegus
Family: Surgeonfishes - Acanthuridae
Maximum Size: 26cm
Identification: White with 5-6 black bars on head and body.
Favourite: Often feed in large groups.
Hide-out: Usually on shallow reefs to 5m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - E. Africa to Indonesia, Micronesia, Hawaii, French Polynesia and Panama. S.W. Japan to N. & E. Australia and Lord Howe I.

Powderblue Surgeonfish

Scientific Name: Acanthurus leucostermon
Family: Surgeonfishes - Acanthuridae
Maximum Size: 38cm
Identification: Black head and blue body, yellow dorsal fin, white ventral anal and tail fins; white patch below mouth extending to pectoral fin.
Favourite: Form large feeding groups.
Hide-out: Inshore and outer reefs to 25m.
Location: Indian Ocean - E. Africa to Sumatra and Bali in Indonesia.

Roundspot Surgeonfish

Scientific Name: Acanthurus bariene
Family: Surgeonfishes - Acanthuridae
Maximum Size: 50cm
Identification: Brown to yellowish brown with yellow dorsal fin, and white lips; yellow bar behind gill cover, round black spot behind eye.
Favourite: Solitary or in pairs.
Hide-out: Clear seaward reefs in 6-50m.
Location: Indo-Asian Pacific - E. Africa to Solomon Is. S.W. Japan to Great Barrier Reef.

Striped Surgeonfish

Scientific Name: Acanthurus lineatus
Family: Surgeonfishes - Acanthuridae
Maximum Size: 38cm
Identification: Gold undercolor with numerous black edged blue stripes and bluish belly, yellow ventral fins; bright blue margins on most fins.
Favourite: Solitary; territorial and aggressive; tail spine venomous.
Hide-out: Outer edge of reefs to 6m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - E. Africa to Indonesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. S.W. Japan to Great Barrier Reef and New Caledonia.

Brown Surgeonfish

Scientific Name: Acanthurus nigrofuscus
Family: Surgeonfishes - Acanthuridae
Maximum Size: 21cm
Identification: Brown with numerous orange spots on head; black spot at rear base of last dorsal and anal fin rays.
Favourite: Common on Indo-Pacific reefs. Form large schools; graze on algae growing on rocky surfaces.
Hide-out: Inshore and outer reefs to 20m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - Red Sea and E. Africa to Micronesia, Hawaii and Polynesia. S.W. Japan to Great Barrier Reef and Lord Howe I.

Whitefin Surgeonfish

Scientific Name: Acanthurus albipectoralis
Family: Surgeonfishes - Acanthuridae
Maximum Size: 33cm
Identification: Dark gray to nearly black, except for white outer half of pectoral fin.
Favourite: Solitary or form small groups; feed on plankton high above bottom.
Hide-out: Steep outer reef slopes in 5-20m.
Location: Southwest Pacific - Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea to Tonga.

Blackstreak Surgeonfish

Scientific Name: Acanthurus nigricaudus
Family: Surgeonfishes - Acanthuridae
Maximum Size: 40cm
Identification: Pale to dark brown or gray; long black bar behind eye to above pectoral fin, thin streak on rear body to tail spine.
Favourite: Solitary or form small groups.
Hide-out: Usually over sand near coral or rock outcrops in 3-30m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - E. Africa to French Polynesia. S.W. Japan to Great Barrier Reef.

Yellowmask Surgeonfish

Scientific Name: Acanthurus mata
Family: Surgeonfishes - Acanthuridae
Maximum Size: 50cm
Identification: Slender; pale to dark bluish body with numerous blue and dark horizontal lines, upper lip yellowish; yellow band through eye.
Favourite: Groups feed on zooplankton.
Hide-out: Inshore (often turbid) and outer reefs in 5-25m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - Red Sea and E. Africa to French Polynesia. S.W. Japan to Great Barrier Reef and New Caledonia.

Yellowfin Surgeonfish

Scientific Name: Acanthurus xanthopterus
Family: Surgeonfishes - Acanthuridae
Maximum Size: 56cm
Identification: Blue to grayish brown, yellow to yellowish pectoral fins; yellow band passes through eye, frequently a white ring around tail base. The largest surgeonfish.
Favourite: Solitary or form groups.
Hide-out: Sandy areas near reefs in 15-90m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - E. Africa to Mexico. S.W. Japan to Great Barrier Reef and New Caledonia.

Whitecheek Surgeonfish

Scientific Name: Acanthurus nigricans
Family: Surgeonfishes - Acanthuridae
Maximum Size: 21cm
Identification: Dark brown to navy blue or black, white tail with yellow bar; white patch below eye, white ring behind mouth, yellow line at base of dorsal and anal fins, yellow tail spine.
Favourite: Solitary or form groups.
Hide-out: Exposed reefs to 40m.
Location: East Indo-Pacific - Christmas I. to Indonesia, Micronesia and Hawaii. S.W. Japan to Great Barrier Reef and New Caledonia.

Japanese Surgeonfish

Scientific Name: Acanthurus japonicus
Family: Surgeonfishes - Acanthuridae
Maximum Size: 21cm
Identification: Yellowish brown to dark blue becomes yellow on extreme rear body; white patch from lips to eye; white tail.
Favourite: Solitary or form small groups.
Hide-out: Clear lagoons and outer reef in 2-12m.
Location: North Asian Pacific - Sulawesi in Indonesia to Philippines and S.W. Japan.

Mimic Surgeonfish

Scientific Name: Acanthurus pyroferus
Family: Surgeonfishes - Acanthuridae
Maximum Size: 25cm
Identification: Brown; curving black band from chin to upper edge of gill cover; orange patch above pectoral fin base.
Favourite: Usually solitary.
Hide-out: Lagoon and seaward reefs in 4-60m.
Location: Pacific - Indonesia, Philippines, Micronesia to French Polynesia. S.W. Japan to Great Barrier Reef and New Caledonia.

Indian Mimic Surgeonfish

Scientific Name: Acanthurus tristis
Family: Surgeonfishes - Acanthuridae
Maximum Size: 25cm
Identification: Gray face and tan to dark brown body; curving black band from chin to upper gill cover, black patch above pectoral fin base, white margin on tail.
Favourite: Usually solitary.
Hide-out: Lagoon and outer reefs in 2-30m.
Location: Indian Ocean - Seychelles, Chagos, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Andaman Sea to Bali in Indonesia.

White-Spotted Surgeonfish

Scientific Name: Acanthurus guttatus
Family: Surgeonfishes - Acanthuridae
Maximum Size: 29cm
Identification: Darkish with numerous white spots or streaks rear body; white bar behind eye and behind pectoral fin, yellowish foretail.
Favourite: Usually form groups.
Hide-out: Surge zone to 4m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - Mauritius to Indonesia, Micronesia, Hawaii and French Polynesia. S.W. Japan to Great Barrier Reef and New Caledonia.

Orangeband Surgeonfish

Scientific Name: Acanthurus olivaceus
Family: Surgeonfishes - Acanthuridae
Maximum Size: 35cm
Identification: Light gray head and forebody, dark gray behind; blue-edged elliptical orange band behind upper gill cover.
Favourite: Solitary or form groups.
Hide-out: Over sand bottoms near reefs in 3-45m.
Location: East Indo-Pacific - Coco-Keeling Is. to Indonesia, Philippines, Hawaii and Tuamotu Is. in French Polynesia. S.W. Japan to Lord Howe I.

Whitebar Surgeonfish

Scientific Name: Acanthurus leucopareius
Family: Surgeonfishes - Acanthuridae
Maximum Size: 20cm
Identification: Tan with thin dark stripes; white bar behind eye bordered by two dark bars.
Favourite: Form schools.
Hide-out: Rocky, boulder-strewn areas of surge in 0-10m.
Location: Pacific - Two separate populations. North of equator: S. Japan and Mariana Is. to Hawaii. South of equator: New Caledonia to Pitcaim Is. east of French Polynesia.