Surgeonfishes
Caribbean Blue Tang
Acanthurus coeruleus
Species Overview
Deep-bodied surgeonfish (body depth about 1.7 in standard length) with a conspicuous yellow spine on the tail base; FishBase calls its coloration the most distinctive of any western Atlantic surgeonfish; dorsal fin 9 spines and 26–28 soft rays, anal fin 3 spines and 24–26 soft rays.
- Size
- Typical adult about 25 cm TL [10 in] (FishBase common length; ReefGuide 13–38 cm [5–15 in]); maximum recorded 39 cm TL [15.4 in].
- Depth range
- 2–50 m, usually 2–18 m (FishBase); ReefGuide 3–18 m.
- Habitat
- Coral reefs and inshore grassy or rocky areas; tropical, reef-associated.
- Diet
- Herbivore feeding entirely on algae (FishBase).
- Range
- Caribbean, Bahamas, Florida, Gulf of America (Mexico), Bermuda; western Atlantic from New York and Bermuda to Brazil, plus Ascension Island in the eastern Atlantic.
Ecological role
Algal grazer on reefs; juveniles can act as cleaners of green turtles (FishBase).
Explore reef conservation
Learn about Caribbean reef habitats, invasive lionfish and the work of the Caribbean Reef Fish Foundation.
TL means total length; SL excludes the tail fin; FL measures to the tail fork. These measurements are not interchangeable.