Acanthurus leucosternon

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Acanthurus leucosternon

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Acanthuriformes
Family: Acanthuridae
Genus: Acanthurus
Species:
A. leucosternon
Binomial name
Acanthurus leucosternon
Synonyms[2]
  • Hepatus leucosternon (Bennett, 1833)
  • Rhombotides leucosternon (Bennett, 1833)
  • Acanthurus delisiani Valenciennes, 1835
  • Acanthurus delisianus Valenciennes, 1835

Acanthurus leucosternon, commonly known as the blue surgeonfish, powder blue tang or powder-blue surgeonfish, is a species of marine

ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae
, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This species is found in the Indian Ocean.

Taxonomy

Acanthurus leucosternon was first formally

type locality given as Sri Lanka.[3] The genus Acanthurus is one of two genera in the tribe Acanthurini which is one of three tribes in the subfamily Acanthurinae which is one of two subfamilies in the family Acanthuridae.[4]

Etymology

Acanthurus leucosternon has the specific name leucosternon. This combines the Greek words leukos, meaning "white", and sternon, meaning "breast"; this refers to the white chest shown by this species.[5]

Description

The fish can reach an average size of 23 cm (9 in) in length.

pectoral fins are transparent with yellow reflections. The intensity of its blue color shows off if the fish is healthy or not.[citation needed
] The fish does not undergo color changes as it matures; as some tangs, surgeonfish and unicornfish do.

Distribution and habitat

Acanthurus leucosternon is found in tropical waters from the Indian Ocean.[10] The species inhabits shallow and clear coastal waters always associated with a reef. It prefers flat top reefs and areas along seaward slopes.[10]

Behaviour

The powder blue tang, like most

surgeonfish.[6] In cases where food is plentiful, it may feed in shoals, but in cases of scarcity, it may compete individually for food.[8] It may use its surgeon's scalpel as a defensive weapon.[6]

Economic value

Acanthurus leucosternon shoaling in the Maldives, Indian Ocean

The powder blue tang is rarely harvested for anything other than the marine

Cryptocaryon irritans.[6] They are reef safe and are compatible with most species except other species of fish in the genus Acanthurus.[6]

References

  1. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T178000A1516737.en
    . Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  2. ^ a b Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2023). "Acanthurus leocosternon" in FishBase. June 2023 version.
  3. ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Acanthurus". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  4. ISBN 978-1-118-34233-6
    .
  5. ^ Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara, eds. (12 January 2021). "Order ACANTHURIFORMES (part 2): Families EPHIPPIDAE, LEIOGNATHIDAE, SCATOPHAGIDAE, ANTIGONIIDAE, SIGANIDAE, CAPROIDAE, LUVARIDAE, ZANCLIDAE and ACANTHURIDAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  6. ^
    ISBN 0-7641-3256-3
    .
  7. ^ Clipperton, John (1 September 2013). "Powder Blue Tang – Acanthurus leucosternon". Marine Habitat magazine. Fish Junkies Ltd. Archived from the original on 14 February 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  8. ^
    ISBN 978-0-7566-8886-8
    .
  9. ISBN 2711415252
    ), p. 366
  10. ^ a b "Facts about Powder Blue Tang (Acanthurus leucosternon) - Encyclopedia of Life". Eol.org. Retrieved 2014-01-04.

Further reading

  • Robertson, Ross; Polunin, Nicholas; Leighton, Kimberley (1979). "The behavioral ecology of three Indian Ocean surgeonfishes (Acanthurus lineutus, A. leucosternon and Zebrusoma scopes): their feeding strategies, and social and mating systems". Environmental Biology of Fishes. 4 (2): 125–170.
    doi:10.1007/BF00005448
    .

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Acanthurus leucosternon.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Acanthurus_leucosternon&oldid=1216622003"