Acanthurus coeruleus

Blue tang surgeonfish | Blue Tang | Blue Doctorfish | Blue Barber | Blue Surgeonfish | Yellow Barber | Yellow Doctorfish | Blue Doctor
Acanthurus coeruleus
Acanthurus coeruleus, Belize, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Acanthurus coeruleus
Acanthurus coeruleus, Belize, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Acanthurus coeruleus
Acanthurus coeruleus, Bonaire, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Acanthurus coeruleus
Acanthurus coeruleus, Abrolhos, Bahia, Brazil, Photo: Graham Edgar
Acanthurus coeruleus
Acanthurus coeruleus, juvenile, Florida Keys, USA, Photo: Graham Edgar
Acanthurus coeruleus
Acanthurus coeruleus, Bonaire, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Acanthurus coeruleus
Acanthurus coeruleus, Florida Keys, USA, Photo: Graham Edgar
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Acanthurus coeruleus
Acanthurus coeruleus
Acanthurus coeruleus
Acanthurus coeruleus
Acanthurus coeruleus
Acanthurus coeruleus
Acanthurus coeruleus

Distribution

Tropical Atlantic/Caribbean


Description

Bluish-grey body with faint wavy lines along body and fins, tail spine yellowish and eye with a blue ring. Juveiles bright yellow with blue margins on dorsal and anal fin. Can form large feeding aggregations, often with other surgeon fish species which graze on algae. Juveniles sometimes act as cleaners to Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas).


Information

Max Size: 39 cm

Sea Temperature Range: 22.3-30.9°C

Depth: 2-40m

Habitat Generalization Index: 29.05

Also referred to as the SGI (Species Generalisation Index), this describes the habitat niche breadth of the species. Species with values less than 15 are found in a relatively narrow range of reef habitat types (specialists), while those over 25 may be found on most hard substrates within their range (generalists). Learn more here.


Conservation and Rarity

IUCN Status: Least Concern

Occurrence: Common (30.9% of sites)

Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed

Abundance: Several (9 per transect)

Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.


Edit by: Joe Shields