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Fish
Surgeonfish
Surgeonfish · Acanthuridae
Surgeonfish glide through tropical coral reefs in shoals, impressing with their intense colours and elegant silhouette.
Fact file
- Size
- Depending on the species 15 to 40 cm long, some species can reach over 50 cm
- Males and females
- Males and females hardly distinguishable by appearance
- Sounds
- No audible vocalisations, occasionally splashing when fleeing
- Diet
- Mainly algae, less often small invertebrates
- Offspring
- Spawn seasonally, eggs drift freely in open water
How to identify Surgeonfish
Surgeonfish have slender, strongly laterally compressed bodies with small scales, which gives their silhouette an elegant appearance. Their base colour varies depending on the species from silvery blue to bright yellow or grey-brown, often criss-crossed with conspicuous stripes or spots that glow intensely in sunlight.
Striking features include the sickle-shaped elongated, narrow mouth and the eponymous razor-sharp bony blades at the base of the tail fin. These blade-like scalpels are often a different colour in many species and clearly visible. The dorsal and anal fins are long, and the tail fin is usually distinctly forked.
More in the app
With Wildful Stories+ you also get in the app:
- general viewing tips
- 4 places where you can see Surgeonfish
Where Surgeonfish live
Discover Surgeonfish on your trip.
The app shows you where and when to see wildlife along your route.
