Surgeonfishes and Relatives: Acanthuroidei - Behavior And Reproduction, Surgeonfishes And Their Relatives And People, Lined Surgeonfish (acanthurus Lineatus): Species Accounts - PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS, GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, CONSERVATION STATU
live fishes animals plants
Surgeonfishes and their relatives have small to medium-sized bodies that are narrow from side to side and may be disk-like, oval, or slightly long. Many of these fishes have sharp venomous spines or ridges. Many of these fishes are very colorful.
Surgeonfishes and their relatives live in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans.
Most surgeonfishes and their relatives live in shallow coral and rocky reefs. Some species live in estuaries (EHS-chew-air-eez), or the areas where rivers meet the sea, or even farther upstream into freshwater. One species lives in the open sea.
Most surgeonfishes and their relatives eat bottom-dwelling algae and invertebrates (in-VER-teh-brehts), or animals without backbones. Algae (AL-jee) are plantlike growths that live in water and have no true roots, stems, or leaves. Some species of these fishes can crush shells. One species eats mostly plants, and one species eats jellylike plankton, which is microscopic plants and animals drifting in water.
Surgeonfishes and their relatives are not threatened or endangered.
Additional Topics
Physical characteristics: Lined surgeonfish have a disk-like body that is narrow from side to side. There is a large, venomous spine on each side of the tail. The tail fin is shaped like a crescent moon. The body color is yellowish green with bright blue stripes that are edged with black on the sides of the fish but not on the head. The belly is bluish white. The tail fin has two up-and-down lines…
Physical characteristics: Yellow tangs have a disk-like body that is narrow from side to side. The forehead curves in rather than out, and the snout is long. The dorsal fin sticks up high and has four to five spines. The anal fin has three spines. The body is bright yellow. Yellow tangs grow to a length of more than 8 inches (20 centimeters). Geographic range: Yellow tangs live in the Pacific Ocea…
Physical characteristics: Moorish idols have a disk-like body that is narrow from side to side. The third spine in the dorsal fin is very long and whiplike. These fish have three up-and-down bands of white and yellow alternating with two bands of black. The tail fin is black and fringed with white or yellowish white. The snout has a small patch of yellow and a band of white. The snout is tubular. …
Citing this material
Please include a link to this page if you have found this material useful for research or writing a related article. Content on this website is from high-quality, licensed material originally published in print form. You can always be sure you're reading unbiased, factual, and accurate information.
Highlight the text below, right-click, and select “copy”. Paste the link into your website, email, or any other HTML document.
User Comments