Acanthurus

Acanthurus Temporal range: 55–0 Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N Eocene to Present[1]
Atlantic Blue tang surgeonfish (Acanthurus coeruleus)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Perciformes
Family:	Acanthuridae
Genus:	Acanthurus Forsskål, 1775
Species
See text

Acanthurus is the type genus of the family Acanthuridae. Approximately half of all members of the family are members of the genus Acanthurus. They are found in tropical oceans, especially near coral reefs, with most species in the Indo-Pacific, but a few are found in the Atlantic Ocean. As other members of the family, they have a pair of spines, one on either side of the base of the tail, which are dangerously sharp (hence the name "surgeonfish"). Depending on species, they grow to a maximum length of 15 to 50 centimetres (5.9 to 19.7 in). Many are very colourful and consequently popular in the marine aquarium trade.

Species

There are currently 38 recognized species in this genus:^[2]

• Acanthurus achilles G. Shaw, 1803 (Achilles tang)
• Acanthurus albipectoralis G. R. Allen & Ayling, 1987 (Whitefin surgeonfish)
• Acanthurus auranticavus J. E. Randall, 1956 (Orange-socket surgeonfish)
• Acanthurus bahianus Castelnau, 1855 (Ocean surgeonfish)^[3]
• Acanthurus bariene Lesson, 1831 (Black-spot surgeonfish)
• Acanthurus blochii Valenciennes, 1835 (Ringtail surgeonfish)
• Acanthurus chirurgus (Bloch, 1787) (Doctorfish tang)
• Acanthurus chronixis J. E. Randall, 1960 (Chronixis surgeonfish)
• Acanthurus coeruleus Bloch & J. G. Schneider, 1801 (Blue tang surgeonfish)
• Acanthurus dussumieri Valenciennes, 1835 (Eyestripe surgeonfish)
• Acanthurus fowleri de Beaufort, 1951 (Fowler's surgeonfish)
• Acanthurus gahhm (Forsskål, 1775) (Black surgeonfish)
• Acanthurus grammoptilus J. Richardson, 1843 (Finelined surgeonfish)
• Acanthurus guttatus J. R. Forster, 1801 (Whitespotted surgeonfish)
• Acanthurus japonicus (P. J. Schmidt, 1931) (Japan surgeonfish)
• Acanthurus leucocheilus Herre, 1927 (Palelipped surgeonfish)
• Acanthurus leucopareius (O. P. Jenkins, 1903) (Whitebar surgeonfish)
• Acanthurus leucosternon E. T. Bennett, 1833 (Powderblue surgeonfish)
• Acanthurus lineatus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lined surgeonfish)

Manini Acanthurus triostegus

• Acanthurus maculiceps (C. G. E. Ahl, 1923) (White-freckled surgeonfish)
• Acanthurus mata (G. Cuvier, 1829) (Elongate surgeonfish)
• Acanthurus monroviae Steindachner, 1876 (Monrovia doctorfish)
• Acanthurus nigricans (Linnaeus, 1758) (Whitecheek surgeonfish)
• Acanthurus nigricauda Duncker & Mohr (de), 1929 (Epaulette surgeonfish)
• Acanthurus nigrofuscus (Forsskål, 1775) (Brown surgeonfish)
• Acanthurus nigroris Valenciennes, 1835 (Bluelined surgeonfish)
• Acanthurus nubilus (Fowler & B. A. Bean, 1929) (Bluelined surgeon)
• Acanthurus olivaceus Bloch & J. G. Schneider, 1801 (Orangespot surgeonfish)
• Acanthurus polyzona (Bleeker, 1868) (Black-barred surgeonfish)
• Acanthurus pyroferus Kittlitz, 1834 (Chocolate surgeonfish)
• Acanthurus randalli Briggs & D. K. Caldwell, 1957 (Gulf surgeonfish)
• Acanthurus reversus J. E. Randall & Earle, 1999
• Acanthurus sohal (Forsskål, 1775) (Sohal surgeonfish)
• Acanthurus tennentii Günther, 1861 (Doubleband surgeonfish)
• Acanthurus thompsoni (Fowler, 1923) (Thompson's surgeonfish)
• Acanthurus triostegus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Convict surgeonfish)
• Acanthurus tristis J. E. Randall, 1993 (Indian Ocean mimic surgeonfish)
• Acanthurus xanthopterus Valenciennes, 1835 (Yellowfin surgeonfish)

Fossil species

The four fossil species known from the Lutetian epoch, of the Eocene lagerstätte of Monte Bolca, have recently been placed in their own genus, Proacanthurus, and are considered ancestral to Acanthurus.^[4]

• †Proacanthurus Blot & Tyler 1990
  • †P. bonatoi Blot & Tyler 1990
  • †P. elongatus Blot & Tyler 1990
  • †P. ovalis (Agassiz 1844)
  • †P. tenuis (Agassiz 1835)

References

1. Sepkoski, Jack (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera". Bulletins of American Paleontology 364: 560. Retrieved 31 December 2007.
2. Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2012). Species of Acanthurus in FishBase. December 2012 version.
3. Bernal, M.A., & Rocha, L.A. (2011). "Acanthurus tractus Poey, 1860, a valid western Atlantic species of surgeonfish (Teleostei, Acanthuridae), distinct from Acanthurus bahianus Castelnau, 1855." Zootaxa 2905: 63–68.
4. Tyler; Blot (1990). Stud Ric Giacimenti Terziari Bolca 6 (45).