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.
| Acanthurus leucosternon | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Acanthuriformes |
| Family: | Acanthuridae |
| Genus: | Acanthurus |
| Species: | A. leucosternon
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| Binomial name | |
| Acanthurus leucosternon E. T. Bennett, 1833
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| Synonyms[2] | |
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Taxonomy
editAcanthurus leucosternon was first formally described in 1833 by the English naturalist Edward Turner Bennett with its 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
editAcanthurus 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
editThe fish can reach an average size of 23 cm (9 in) in length.[6] The body has an oval shape and is compressed laterally. Like other surgeonfishes, Acanthurus leucosternon swims with its pectoral fins. The caudal fin has a crescent shape. The fish has a "surgeon's scalpel," an erected part of the spine located at the base of the tail.[7] The mouth is small and pointed in a beak-like manner with tiny and sharp teeth for reaching narrow spaces of food.[8] Its sides are blue;[8] its dorsal fin and the base of caudal fin are yellow;[8] the head is black;[8] the mouth, the throat area, the anal and pelvic fins are white.[9] The 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
editAcanthurus 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
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The powder blue tang, like most fish in the family Acanthuridae, is herbivorous, eating mostly benthic algae.[2] Acanthurus leucosternon has a diurnal activity. It is solitary, territorial and aggressive with other 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
editThe powder blue tang is rarely harvested for anything other than the marine aquarium industry. It is a commonly sold fish that is moderately difficult to care for, although its popularity is easily exceeded by the regal tang and yellow tang.[citation needed] They are very prone to Cryptocaryon irritans.[6] They are reef safe and are compatible with most species except other species of fish in the genus Acanthurus.[6]
References
edit- ^ Abesamis, R.; Clements, K.D.; McIlwain, J.; et al. (2012). "Acanthurus leucosternon". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012: e.T178000A1516737. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T178000A1516737.en. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
- ^ a b Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Acanthurus leocosternon". FishBase. June 2023 version.
- ^ 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.
- ^ J. S. Nelson; T. C. Grande; M. V. H. Wilson (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Wiley. pp. 497–502. ISBN 978-1-118-34233-6.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b c d e Lougher, Tristan (2006). What Fish?: A Buyer's Guide to Marine Fish. Interpet Publishing. p. 111. ISBN 0-7641-3256-3.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b c d e DK Publishing (17 January 2011). Animal Life: Secrets of the Animal World Revealed. DK Publishing. p. 188. ISBN 978-0-7566-8886-8.
- ^ Andreas Vilcinskas, La vie sous-marine des tropiques, Vigot, 2002, 475 p. (ISBN 2711415252), p. 366
- ^ a b "Facts about Powder Blue Tang (Acanthurus leucosternon) - Encyclopedia of Life". Eol.org. Retrieved 2014-01-04.
Further reading
edit- 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
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- Tang at Wetwebmedia.com
- Powder Blue Tang
- World Register of Marine Species
- Photos of Acanthurus leucosternon on Sealife Collection