Brown Surgeonfish, Acanthurus nigrofuscus (Forsskål, 1775)
Click to enlarge image
© Australian Museum
Fast Facts
-
Classification
- Genus
- Acanthurus
- Species
- nigrofuscus
- Family
- Acanthuridae
- Order
- Perciformes
- Class
- Actinopterygii
- Subphylum
- Vertebrata
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Kingdom
- Animalia
-
- Size Range
- It grows to 21 cm in length.
Introduction
The Brown Surgeonfish occurs in shallow tropical marine waters of the Indo-Pacific. It is brown to purple-brown with small orange spots on the head and thorax and has a black spot at the rear of the dorsal and anal fin bases.
Identification
The Brown Surgeonfish is brown to purple-brown with small orange spots on the head and thorax. There is a black spot at the rear of the dorsal and anal fin bases.
Habitat
Brown Surgeonfish lives in shallow tropical marine waters.
Distribution
This species occurs in the Indo-Pacific region.
In Australia it is known from south-western to north-western Western Australia and from the northern Great Barrier Reef to northern New South Wales.
The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums. Click on the map for detailed information. Source: Atlas of Living Australia.
References
- Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
- Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437.
- Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.
