Acanthuridae

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Surgeonfish
)
Not to be confused with red garra, sturgeon, or tench.

Surgeonfish
Temporal range: Eocene to Recent
peduncle
shows where the spine is folded in.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Acanthuriformes
Suborder: Acanthuroidei
Family: Acanthuridae
Bonaparte, 1835[1]
Genera

see text

The exposed spine of the surgeonfish species Acanthurus xanthopterus

Acanthuridae are a

extant species of marine fish living in tropical seas, usually around coral reefs. Many of the species are brightly colored and popular in aquaria
.

Etymology and taxonomic history

The name of the family is derived from the Greek words akantha and oura, which loosely translate to "thorn" and "tail", respectively. This refers to the distinguishing characteristic of the family, the "

caudal peduncle.[2] In the early 1900s, the family was called Hepatidae.[3]

Subfamilies and genera

Watercolor of an Acanthurus.
1865 watercolor of an Acanthurus by Jacques Burkhardt.

Acanthuridae contains the following extant subfamilies and genera:[4][1]

Evolution and fossil record

There are several extinct genera known from fossils dating from the Eocene to Miocene:

Eocene genera

Oligocene genera

Miocene genera

Morphology

The distinctive characteristic of the family is that they have scalpel-like

caudal 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 territorial damselfishes that vigorously guard small patches of algae on coral reefs.[7] Most species are fairly small, with a maximum length of 15–40 cm (6–15.5 in), but some in the genus Acanthurus, some in the genus Prionurus, and most species in the genus Naso may grow larger; the whitemargin 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.

Acronurus stage of an unidentified Acanthurus near Morotai

A larval acanthurid, known as an acronurus, looks strikingly different from the juvenile and adult forms of the same individual. It is mostly transparent and tends to have a pelagic 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.[8]

Symbiotic bacteria

Acanthurids are the only known hosts of the bacteria of the genus

Epulopiscium bacteria. These bacteria affect the digestion of surgeonfishes enabling them to digest the algae in their diet.[9][10][11]

In the aquarium

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 popular

Sohal surgeonfish and Atlantic 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 on

macroalgae from genera such as Caulerpa and Gracilaria, 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 a sump or refugium. This technique not only is economically beneficial, but serves to promote enhanced water quality through nitrate
absorption. The growth of the algae can then be controlled by feeding it to the tang.

Gallery


References

  1. ^
    PMID 25543675
    .
  2. ^ a b Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2007). "Acanthuridae" in FishBase. February 2007 version.
  3. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.54135
    .
  4. ISBN 978-1-118-34233-6. Archived from the original
    on 2019-04-08. Retrieved 2023-07-10.
  5. ^ Samuel Hubbard Scudder (1884). "Nomenclator Zoologicus: An Alphabetical List of All Generic Names that Have Been Employed by Naturalists for Recent and Fossil Animals from the Earliest Times to the Close of the Year 1879". Bulletin (United States National Museum) (19).
  6. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2013.03.014
  7. JSTOR 1443464
    .
  8. ^ Jonna, R. Jamil. "Acanthuridae (Surgeonfishes, tangs, unicornfishes)". Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  9. S2CID 206181801
    .
  10. S2CID 84816281
    .
  11. ISSN 0300-9629
    .

External links
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Acanthuridae&oldid=1220741410"